President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to issue an executive order Monday to temporarily halt TikTok’s ban, though it’s unclear if the company has met the legal requirements for the delay, according to Bloomberg. After briefly going dark, TikTok restored access to its 170 million U.S. users, but the app remained unavailable in Apple and Google stores. Service providers could face hefty fines for allowing access.
Donald Trump made an announcement on Jan. 19, a day before his scheduled inauguration to the White House as the president, that TikTok’s ban will be reversed.
The president-elect, during his Make America Great Again (MAGA) Victory Rally at Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena, said: “As of today, TikTok is back.”
While making the bold claim, Trump added that the Republicans won the youth vote by 36 points and now, he likes TikTok.
READ: US Supreme Court votes in favor of TikTok ban (January 17, 2025
The social media app, before going dark in the United States, had name-dropped Trump in its deactivation message. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!” the message read.
Reportedly, TikTok said Sunday that it would be restoring service to U.S. users after blocking it the evening before. In a statement, TikTok said its video platform was coming back online after Trump provided the necessary assurances to the company’s service providers.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said on X. “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.”
“It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” the company added.
As of January 2025, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, with both national security and data privacy concerns driving ongoing debates. The app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been the subject of scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers and officials who worry that user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, potentially posing a national security risk.
The issue of banning TikTok became prominent during Trump’s presidency. In 2020, Trump issued an executive order attempting to ban TikTok, citing security concerns and the potential for the Chinese government to misuse data. His administration argued that TikTok posed a threat to U.S. citizens’ privacy and sought to force ByteDance to sell the app to a U.S. company. However, legal challenges and delays prevented any final action, and the issue was left unresolved by the time Trump left office.
President Joe Biden, upon taking office in 2021, inherited the TikTok issue but initially took a different approach. His administration paused the Trump-era executive orders and began a review of the national security concerns surrounding TikTok.
READ: TikTok might ‘go dark’ on Jan. 19, Supreme Court likely to uphold app ban (January 11, 2025)
In 2023, Biden’s team signaled interest in resolving the matter through negotiations rather than an outright ban. These talks have focused on ensuring U.S. data security by proposing measures like the local storage of data and closer scrutiny of TikTok’s algorithms. However, the Biden administration has also expressed concern about the app’s potential for influence operations, leading to continued pressure on TikTok to meet stricter data protection standards.
Despite efforts to negotiate solutions, both political parties remain divided, with some lawmakers pushing for an outright ban on TikTok, and others advocating for regulation. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains in flux, as the Biden administration continues to balance security concerns with a desire to avoid banning a popular app widely used by Americans.
