TikTok Resumes Service in US as Trump Promises Executive Order
TikTok is back online in the U.S. after shutting down temporarily over the weekend due to a law requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations or face being banned. The short-form video app, used by 170 million Americans, was restored after President-elect Donald Trump announced he would issue an executive order delaying the ban.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump reassured tech companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle that they would not face penalties for supporting TikTok before his order was signed. “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” he wrote, promising to “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect.”
TikTok quickly restored service and thanked Trump for his intervention. The company issued a statement saying, “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance” and expressed willingness to work with the new administration on a long-term solution. Users logging in on Sunday were greeted with a message crediting Trump for bringing the app back.
Despite Trump’s move, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. The law, passed last April with bipartisan support, mandates that ByteDance divest TikTok to an American or allied buyer. ByteDance has so far resisted, and Chinese officials have signaled opposition to selling the app’s key algorithm.
Trump floated the idea of a 50-50 joint venture between ByteDance and a U.S. company but did not clarify if that would meet the legal requirement for divestiture. He also hinted at extending the ban’s deadline by 90 days, provided there was “significant progress” toward a sale.
Republican lawmakers are pushing back. Senator Tom Cotton warned that any company helping TikTok operate could face “hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability.” Meanwhile, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had previously called TikTok a tool of the Chinese Communist Party but now appears to be deferring to Trump’s judgment.
Potential buyers, including billionaire Frank McCourt and investor Kevin O’Leary, have reportedly submitted bids for TikTok’s U.S. assets. There are also unconfirmed reports of interest from Elon Musk, though TikTok has dismissed them as “pure fiction.”
Legal experts note that Trump’s executive order may face challenges in court, as the law has already taken effect. However, the administration could choose not to enforce it while negotiations continue. “The best thing Trump could do is work with Congress,” said law professor Carl Tobias.
For now, TikTok remains live, and its CEO, Shou Chew, is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday. But whether the app stays in the U.S. for the long term will depend on what happens next.
