TikTok Says it is Restoring Service for U.S. Users After Trump Comments

TikTok said on Sunday said it was restoring its service after President-elect Donald Trump said he would revive the app’s access in the U.S. when he returns to power on Monday.

In a statement, TikTok said its video platform was coming back online after President-elect Donald Trump provided assurances necessary to the company’s service providers.

“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said in a post on X. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”

“It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” the company added.

STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:

In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170…

— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025

Just hours before the move from TikTok, Trump posted to Truth Social calling for the app to remain available.

Trump indicated in his post that he wanted it to be available in order to broadcast his inauguration Monday.

“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” Trump wrote.

TikTok’s availability remained limited as of early afternoon, with access to the platform’s content avilable through web browsers. The app was also still unavailable for download from Apple and Google’s app stores.

The law banning TikTok, which was scheduled to go into effect Sunday, allows the president to grant a 90-day extension before the ban is enforced, provided certain criteria are met.

Under a law that President Joe Biden signed in April, TikTok would be banned unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sold the company to a non-Chinese buyer.

Prior to the ban’s implementation, both Biden and the incoming Trump administration appeared to reverse their earlier positions on TikTok.

During his campaign, Trump, who had advocated for a ban during his first term as president, came out in support of TikTok, saying he’d save the app.

After the Supreme Court greenlit the law on Friday, the Biden administration issued a statement saying it would not enforce the ban, leaving that responsibility to Trump.

But TikTok said those assurances were not enough to prevent the app from going dark, and on Saturday evening, the app was removed from app stores and service for American users was suspended.

via: NBC News

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