TikTok restored service to users in the United States on Sunday just hours after the went dark in response to , which President-elect Donald Trump said he would try to pause by executive order on his first day in office.
Trump said he planned to issue the order to give TikTok91裸聊视频檚 China-based parent company to find an before the ban takes full effect. He announced the move on his Truth Social account as millions of U.S. TikTok users awoke to discover they could the TikTok app or platform.
But by Sunday afternoon, a message greeted those who signed on thanking them 91裸聊视频� and the president-elect 91裸聊视频� for their support.
91裸聊视频淎s a result of President 罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!91裸聊视频� the message read.
TikTok said it shut down the platform late Saturday because of a federal law that required parent company ByteDance to sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. also removed TikTok from their digital stores. The law, which passed with in April, allows for steep fines.
While the company that runs TikTok in the U.S. said on X that the steps Trump outlined Sunday provided 91裸聊视频渢he necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties,91裸聊视频� the TikTok app remained remained unavailable for download in and Google91裸聊视频檚 app stores.
91裸聊视频淚t was a brilliant marketing stunt for both TikTok and incoming president Donald Trump,91裸聊视频� Jasmine Enberg, an analyst with market research firm Emarketer, said. 91裸聊视频淏y abruptly shutting off service, TikTok proved how unpopular the ban was among its users.91裸聊视频�
Why was TikTok banned? What can Trump do about it?
The law that took effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform91裸聊视频檚 U.S. operations due to national security concerns. However, the statute authorized the sitting president to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale was underway.
Although investors made some offers, ByteDance has said it would not sell. Trump said his order would 91裸聊视频渆xtend the period of time before the law91裸聊视频檚 prohibitions take effect91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渃onfirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.91裸聊视频�
It wasn91裸聊视频檛 immediately clear how 罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 promised action would fare from a legal standpoint since the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on Friday and the statute came into force the day before 罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 return to the White House.
91裸聊视频淚 think Trump can at least make an argument that the language is meant to cover any president,91裸聊视频� University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias said.
Some lawmakers who voted for the sale-or-ban law, including some of 罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 , remain in favor of it. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas warned companies Sunday not to provide TikTok with technical support.
91裸聊视频淎ny company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law,91裸聊视频� Cotton wrote on X. 91裸聊视频淭hink about it.91裸聊视频�
Constitutional and business law attorney Kirk McGill said he thinks Trump lacks the legal authority to suspend the ban but it91裸聊视频檚 unlikely the question would reach a court in the time it might take TikTok to find a buyer.
It91裸聊视频檚 also unlikely that Apple or Google will face legal consequences if they move forward with 罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 demands, given that his administration would have to initiate any prosecutions, McGill said.
91裸聊视频淚n the next week or two, before the courts have the chance to do anything, this is certainly going to be a political fight, not a legal one,91裸聊视频� McGill said.
TikTok shuts off 91裸聊视频� but only temporarily?
The on-and-off availability of TikTok came after the Supreme Court ruled that the risk to national security posed by TikTok91裸聊视频檚 ties to China outweighed concerns about limiting speech by the app or its millions of U.S. users.
When TikTok users in the U.S. tried to watch or post videos on as of Saturday night, they saw a pop-up message under the headline, 91裸聊视频淪orry, TikTok isn91裸聊视频檛 available right now.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淎 law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,91裸聊视频� the message said. 91裸聊视频淯nfortunately that means you can91裸聊视频檛 use TikTok for now.91裸聊视频�
The app was removed late Saturday from prominent app stores and remained so as of Sunday afternoon. Apple told customers it also took down other apps developed by ByteDance. They included Lemon8, which some influencers had promoted , the popular video editing app CapCut and photo editor Hypic.
91裸聊视频淎pple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,91裸聊视频� the company said.
Google declined to comment. Apple did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the day91裸聊视频檚 developments.
Experts had said the law as written did not require TikTok to take down its platform, only for to remove it. Current users expected to continue to have access to videos until a lack of updates caused the app to stop working.
After TikTok was back online Sunday, content creator Tiffany Watson, 20, said she was 91裸聊视频減retty hopeful91裸聊视频� it would stay up. At the same time, Watson said her dedication 91裸聊视频渟olely91裸聊视频� to the platform declined during the months the threat of a ban loomed.
91裸聊视频淥verall, I hope that creators will succeed and find community in spite of the unpredictability of TikTok,91裸聊视频� she said.
Will the ban91裸聊视频檚 timing help TikTok?
罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 plan to spare TikTok on his first day in office reflected the ban91裸聊视频檚 coincidental timing and the unusual mix of political considerations surrounding a social media platform that first gained popularity with featuring dances and music clips.
During his first presidential term, Trump in 2020 banning dealings with ByteDance and the owners of the Chinese messaging app WeChat, moves that courts subsequently blocked.
Trump has since credited TikTok with helping him win support from young voters in last year91裸聊视频檚 presidential election. TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend inauguration with a prime seating location.
罢谤耻尘辫91裸聊视频檚 choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told CBS News on Sunday that the president-elect discussed TikTok during a weekend call with Chinese President Xi Jinping 91裸聊视频渁nd they agreed to work together on this.91裸聊视频�
The Biden administration has also stressed in recent days that it did not intend to implement or enforce the ban before Trump takes office on Monday.
Who are possible buyers of TikTok?
it would not sell TikTok, and no likely buyer has emerged.
On Saturday, artificial intelligence startup submitted a proposal to ByteDance to create a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok91裸聊视频檚 U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Perplexity is not asking to purchase the ByteDance algorithm that feeds TikTok user91裸聊视频檚 videos based on their interests.
In Washington, lawmakers and administration officials have that the algorithm is vulnerable to manipulation by China. To date, the U.S. has not publicly provided evidence of TikTok providing user data to Chinese authorities or tinkering with the algorithm to benefit Chinese interests.
Another unknown is whether Trump will remain a TikTok fan.
91裸聊视频淗e91裸聊视频檚 flip-flopped on his stance toward TikTok before, and there91裸聊视频檚 no guarantee he won91裸聊视频檛 do so again,91裸聊视频� EMarketer91裸聊视频檚 Enberg said.
