TikTok initiated the restoration of its services on Sunday following remarks from President-elect Donald Trump, who stated that he would reinstate the app’s access in the United States when he takes office on Monday.
During a rally on Sunday, Trump emphasized, “Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it,” and disclosed plans for a joint venture aimed at bringing back the popular short-video sharing app, which has 170 million users in America.
Hours before the rally, TikTok communicated to its users, “Thanks to President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US.”
Earlier reports suggested that users in the United States could access TikTok’s website, while the application itself began to reappear for some individuals with limited functionalities. However, by Sunday evening, the app was still unavailable for download from US app stores.
TikTok stated, “In concurrence with our service providers, we are in the process of restoring service,” while also expressing gratitude to Trump for offering “the necessary clarity and assurance” to service providers that they would not face penalties for continuing to support TikTok, which has been a vital platform for over seven million small businesses.
This public acknowledgment from TikTok comes at a delicate time in US-China relations. While Trump has indicated plans to impose tariffs on China, he has also expressed a desire for increased communication with the country’s leadership.
On Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Washington criticized the US, alleging that it was utilizing unfair state power to suppress TikTok. A spokesperson said, “China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
TikTok’s operations for US users were halted late Saturday, just before a law aimed at shutting it down on national security grounds went into effect on Sunday. US officials have raised concerns about the potential misuse of Americans’ data under Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Trump announced plans to “extend the period before the law’s prohibitions take effect,” allowing time for negotiations to safeguard national security.
He described his intention to have the United States hold a 50 percent ownership stake in the joint venture, shared on Truth Social.
Furthermore, Trump stated that his executive order would specify there would be no liabilities for companies that supported TikTok’s continuation before his intervention.
Prior comments from Trump suggested he would likely offer TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after his inauguration. This was reiterated in a notice sent to users, which explained the situation and expressed gratitude for Trump’s forthcoming support for TikTok’s operational reinstatement.
“Unfortunately, this means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned,” the message stated, as TikTok was removed from both Apple and Google app stores late Saturday.
The transition in Trump’s stance on TikTok marks a significant shift from his previous term, where he sought to ban the app over fears that it was sharing user data with the Chinese government. Recently, he has expressed a favorable view of TikTok, mentioning its role in securing support from younger voters in the upcoming 2024 election.
In August 2020, Trump signed an executive order allowing ByteDance 90 days to divest TikTok, but ultimately endorsed a partnership deal that involved Oracle and Walmart acquiring stakes in the new entity.
Not all members of Trump’s Republican Party are in favor of circumventing the law to “Save TikTok.” Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts issued a joint statement asserting, “Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date. For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law’s requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China.”
The legislation passed by Congress empowers the incoming Trump administration with significant authority to ban or pursue the sale of other Chinese-owned applications.
Other ByteDance-owned applications, such as the video editing tool CapCut and the lifestyle app Lemon8, were also unavailable in US app stores as of late Saturday.
Requests for comments from Apple and Google went unanswered.
‘Hair on Fire’ Moment
Following the loss of access to TikTok, web searches for “VPN” surged, according to Google Trends.
On Instagram, users expressed concerns about whether orders placed from TikTok Shop, its e-commerce feature, would still be fulfilled.
Marketing firms dependent on TikTok have scrambled to formulate contingency plans, with one executive describing the situation as a “hair on fire” moment after previously believing a solution to keep the app operating would be found.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is scheduled to attend the presidential inauguration and participate in the rally alongside Trump, according to sources.
Potential buyers for TikTok have emerged, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, amid industry speculation that the app could be valued at up to $50 billion. Additionally, reports indicate that discussions have taken place regarding selling TikTok’s US operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, although the company has denied such claims.
On Saturday, US search engine startup Perplexity AI presented a bid to ByteDance to merge with TikTok in the US, aiming to form a new entity by combining resources with other partners.
ByteDance remains a privately held company, with approximately 60 percent of it owned by institutional investors including BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees each hold 20 percent. The company currently employs over 7,000 individuals in the United States.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
