International
TikTok restores service in the US after Trump’s pledge to delay ban
TikTok’s services were restored in the US after Trump pledged to delay its ban, proposing a joint venture with a 50% US ownership stake. The restoration followed the US Supreme Court upholding a law requiring ByteDance to sell or face a ban.

UNITED STATES: TikTok announced on Sunday (19 Jan) that its services were being restored in the United States after President Donald Trump pledged to delay the app’s ban.
This decision followed Trump’s message on Truth Social earlier that day, where he outlined plans to issue an executive order granting TikTok additional time to secure a buyer.
He also proposed that the US government or an American firm take a 50% ownership stake in a new joint venture.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark,” Trump stated.
“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period before the law’s prohibitions take effect so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
He added that the move would allow Americans to access TikTok, including coverage of his inauguration and other significant events.
The shutdown of TikTok in the US late on Saturday affected 170 million users.
It came after the Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell to a non-Chinese owner or face a ban.
The law, passed in April, prohibited companies from distributing, maintaining, or updating TikTok if a sale wasn’t secured.
During the outage, a pop-up message informed US users: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
Trump, who had advocated for banning TikTok during his previous presidency, found new support for the app during his 2024 campaign, where he gained a significant following.
On Sunday, he emphasised the economic and strategic benefits of his proposed solution.
“Without US approval, there is no TikTok,” Trump said.
“With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.”
He expressed confidence that a joint venture involving the US would ensure the app remained operational while maintaining national security.
The shutdown prompted many American content creators, calling themselves “TikTok refugees,” to migrate to Xiaohongshu, another Chinese social media platform.
These users hoped to rebuild their communities while voicing frustration over US government actions, which they said endangered livelihoods and free speech.
TikTok’s legal challenge against the ban came to a head last Friday when the Supreme Court deliberated on whether the app posed a significant national security threat.
ByteDance argued that the ban was an overreach, while lawmakers contended that TikTok’s ownership posed risks due to its Chinese origins.
Following Trump’s Sunday announcement, TikTok issued a statement confirming it was “in the process of restoring service.”
The company thanked the president for providing clarity and assurances to its service providers, ensuring they faced no penalties for maintaining TikTok’s availability.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement read.
The company also called the move “a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship” and expressed its commitment to working on a long-term solution to secure its presence in the US.

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