Less than a day after ByteDance shut down TikTok in the US, it announced that the app would be brought back. TikTok said in a statement posted on Sunday afternoon: “In agreement with our service provider, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”
The statement also thanked President Trump, who is scheduled to take office on Monday and had previously said he was considering extending TikTok following reports of potential bidders (although ByteDance is being sold (have not shown any interest in). TikTok said: “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution to keep TikTok in the United States.”
As of this writing, the TikTok app is up and running again, even though it previously displayed the message “TikTok is currently unavailable.” Wow, how painful it was to spend 12 hours without it, checking the clock. However, TikTok doesn’t seem to be back on the App Store or Google Play Store yet, so if you deleted the app from your phone, you’ll probably have to wait a little longer before restoring it. CapCut, one of the other ByteDance-owned apps affected by the ban, is also unavailable.
Statement from TIKTOK:
Through agreements with service providers, TikTok is working to restore service. Thank you President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance that there will be no penalties for service providers who provide TikTok to more than 170 people…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
The law banning TikTok was scheduled to go into effect today, January 19, but the outgoing administration announced in Biden’s final hours as president that it would not go into effect. MSNBC reported on Saturday that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called TikTok’s black market threat a “stunt” and said, “Why TikTok and other companies are taking action in the days before the Trump administration takes office in 2019. I can’t find it,” he said. Monday. “But TikTok argued that it could not stay online without guarantees that service providers would not be punished.
President Trump chimed in, writing on Truth Social on Sunday morning: I will issue an executive order on Monday that will extend the time period until the law’s ban goes into effect so that we can reach a deal to keep our country safe. This order also confirms that I will not be liable to companies that helped stop TikTok from going dark before my order. ”
He also outlined vague plans for how he envisions TikTok’s future in the United States. “I want the US to have 50% ownership in the joint venture. By doing this, we will preserve TikTok, keep it in good condition, and be able to (sic) up it. Without approval, there would be no Tik Tok.”
I hope you’re not already exhausted by the back-and-forth ridiculousness of this situation. Because, my friends, it’s not over yet.
