TikTok users in the United States can celebrate because their favorite app is back online. On Sunday, 170 million Americans were greeted with the news of the app’s ban, and upon opening it, they encountered a pop-up indicating that a law banning TikTok had been implemented.
13 hours later, the app reported that it was working on restoring services and thanked President Trump for offering “necessary clarity and assurance” that the company would not face penalties if it continued to operate.
Notifications from the TikTok app during and after the ban
President Donald Trump initially proposed a TikTok ban in August 2020 during his first term. He signed an executive order citing concerns about the app’s terms of service, which allow data sharing with its parent company ByteDance, which is partly owned by the Chinese government.
The company had not sold its US operations to a non-Chinese entity by the January 19 deadline established by the US Supreme Court. As a result, the service was banned, and users could not access their accounts. The situation left the “7 million creators” who depend on TikTok for their income in the dark about their future.
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 not face any penalty for providing TikTok to more than 170…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
Donald Trump said on social media that he plans to reinstate TikTok and intends to sign an executive order today to delay the implementation of the law. He also mentioned that companies that help operate TikTok after the deadline will not face any legal consequences.
Although it seems strange that the person who sought to ban the app is now celebrated for allowing it, the US government continues to pressure ByteDance to isolate its US operations or stop the collection of significant sensitive data on Americans.
TikTok continues to be accessible worldwide in its usual markets, excluding countries where it is banned or no longer available, such as India, Iran, Russia and China, which use a similar application called Douyin.
ByteDance has repeatedly hinted that disconnecting the app would be “extremely challenging”. Analysts suggest the process could take several years, regardless of bipartisan legislation or unexpected decisions by the new president.
