Following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would restore the app’s access in the US when he becomes office on Monday, WashingtonTikTok started to restore its services on Sunday.
To be honest, we have no other option. At a rally on Sunday before his inauguration, Trump declared, “We have to save it.” He also stated that the US will look for a joint venture to bring back the program that 170 million Americans use to share short videos.
Hours before the protest, TikTok sent out a message to its users saying, “Thanks to President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”
While the much more popular TikTok app itself started to relaunch for some users with only a few basic functions, TikTok also released an earlier statement after customers in the US reported being able to access the Chinese-owned service’s website. The software was still not accessible for download in US app stores as of Sunday night.
According to its earlier statement, TikTok is working to restore service in accordance with our service suppliers.
Additionally, it expressed gratitude to Mr. Trump for giving our service providers the clarification and guarantee that they won’t be penalized for giving TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and enabling the success of more than 7 million small enterprises.
At a time when US-China ties are tight, TikTok publicly thanked Trump the day before he took office. In addition to declaring his intention to slap tariffs on China, Trump has indicated that he would like to speak with the leader of China more directly.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington charged Friday that the US was repressing TikTok through the exercise of unjust state authority. According to a spokesman, China would do everything in its power to firmly protect its lawful rights and interests.
Before a law banning TikTok for national security grounds took effect on Sunday, the app stopped functioning for US users late Saturday. US regulators had issued a warning that ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, would exploit American data.
Trump claims that in order to reach an agreement to safeguard our national security, he would prolong the time before the law’s prohibitions go into effect.
He said on Truth Social, “I would like the United States to have a 50% stake in a joint venture.”
According to Trump, the executive order would shield any business that helped keep TikTok running before his order from liability.
TikTok referenced Trump’s earlier remarks that he would probably give the app a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he took office in a notice sent to app users.
In the US, a law prohibiting TikTok has been passed. Regretfully, this implies that TikTok will not be available to you at this time.
Luckily, President Trump has said he will work with us to find a way to bring TikTok back once he takes office. TikTok users received a notice saying, “Please stay tuned,” after the software vanished from the Google and Apple app stores late on Saturday.
Trump has changed his stance from his first term in office with his choice to salvage TikTok. He intended to outlaw the app in 2020 due to worries that the business was giving the Chinese government access to Americans’ private data.
In a recent statement, Trump said, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” attributing his success in the 2024 election to the app’s ability to help him appeal to young voters.
Trump gave ByteDance 90 days to sell TikTok in an executive order he issued in August 2020. However, he later accepted a partnership transaction instead of a sale, in which Oracle and Walmart invested in the new business.
Not every member of Trump’s Republican Party backed attempts to get around the ban and keep TikTok alive.
In a joint statement, Republican senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts stated that there is no legal justification for extending the law’s effective date in any way now that it has taken effect.
ByteDance must consent to a sale that satisfies the qualified-divestiture requirements of the law by cutting off all connections between TikTok and Communist China in order to restore the app to the internet in the future.
No significant social networking site has ever been prohibited in the US. The measure, which was passed by Congress with overwhelming support, grants the incoming Trump administration extensive power to prohibit or pursue the sale of additional apps that are controlled by Chinese companies.
As of late Saturday, several ByteDance-owned apps, including the lifestyle social app Lemon8 and the video editing tool CapCut, were likewise offline and not available in US app stores.
Requests for response were not immediately answered by Apple or Google.
MOMENT OF HAIR ON FIRE
Google Trends indicates that in the minutes after TikTok was suspended in the US, more people searched for VPNs online.
Instagram users were worried about whether they would continue to receive goods they had bought through TikTok Shop, the e-commerce division of the video site.
After months of conventional wisdom that a solution would be found to keep the app running, marketing firms that depend on TikTok have hurried to make backup plans in what one CEO called a “hair on fire moment.”
According to Reuters, Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, plans to join Trump at a rally and the US presidential inauguration on Sunday.
The rapidly growing company, which analysts say might be worth up to $50 billion, has attracted the curiosity of potential suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
Media reports claim that Beijing has also talked about selling TikTok’s U.S. business to Elon Musk, a billionaire and Trump supporter, a move that the company has rebuffed.
According to a source acquainted with ByteDance’s plans, the U.S. search engine startup Perplexity AI made a pitch for a merger with TikTok U.S. on Saturday.
According to the source, Perplexity intends to combine with TikTok U.S. and create a new company by joining forces with additional partners.
privately owned. About 60% of ByteDance is owned by institutional investors like BlackRock and General Atlantic, while the founders and staff each control 20%. In the US, it employs more than 7,000 people.
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.