TikTok said on Sunday that it was “in the process of restoring” the app’s operations in the United States. This happened after the recent announcements of Donald Trump about the future of the platform in the US. The company says it will work with the president on a long-term solution.
“In consultation with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity to our service providers for providing TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and allowing it to go unpunished.” 7 million small businesses will not be affected,” the platform officials wrote in a statement.
As of now, the website has been restored, but the app is still unavailable – at least for some users – in the US in the Google and Apple app stores.
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TikTok is back in the U.S. after a few hours of downtime due to the implementation of a law designed to stop the Chinese-controlled app from operating.
TikTok announced its return only after US President-elect Donald Trump assured that the companies that provide the app are not responsible for violating the new law, and he intends to suspend the law for 90 days on Monday.
Trump also announced that he wants to turn TikTok into a joint venture with “50 percent of the shares of the United States”, but did not rule out the possibility of further control of the company by the current Chinese owner.
TikTok, whose CEO Shaw Chew was invited to Trump’s inauguration along with other digital giants, praised the president-elect in a statement for his “strong stance on the First Amendment and his opposition to arbitrary censorship.” did.
“We will work with President Trump to find a long-term solution that will keep TikTok in the United States,” the company said.
This is the message seen today by TikTok users in USAERIK S. LESSER /EPA/PAP.
Trump has warmed to TikTok
Already in 2020, Trump as president tried to force the Chinese owner of TikTok to sell the platform, but when his idea was implemented by Congress in the spring of 2024 through a bill, he changed his mind. In recent weeks, he emphasized that the program is due to its growing popularity among young people.
Safety concerns
The new law, which took effect on Sunday, allows the president to extend its validity for up to 90 days, but it is not clear whether this will be possible after the act takes effect. According to the law, the condition for TikTok to continue operating in the US is to sell it to an entity outside of China.
The TikTok bill, which was passed by an overwhelming majority of congressmen from both parties, was prompted by concerns about the security of user data sent to China and the fact that Chinese law requires domestic companies to cooperate with the service. This has led to concerns from Congress and the outgoing administration about the use of the program and more. for espionage and insulting public opinion in the United States.
The bill was passed after the administration rejected TikTok’s plan to collect US user data on servers in Texas. Those plans were deemed insufficient because they still allowed users’ data to be transferred to China.
Main photo: ERIK S. LESSER/EPA.PAP
