TikTok restored service for users in the United States on Sunday, just a few hours after the Chinese digital platform shut down following a federal ban that Donald Trump said he would block through an executive order on his first day in office. The president-elect achieved this maneuver by assuring U.S. providers that offer access to TikTok that they would not be sanctioned for violating the law.
Over 170 million Americans woke up on Saturday night without access to one of the most popular social media apps in the world. However, TikTok returned to life in the United States on Sunday. The platform announced in a post on X that „in agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”
This development came after Donald Trump wrote in a Sunday morning post on his social platform Truth Social that he would issue an executive order on Monday, immediately after his inauguration as president of the United States, to extend the time before the law's bans take effect.
Although app stores and online service providers that do not comply with the law face potentially significant financial sanctions, Trump stated that his order will confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped TikTok avoid closure before his order was issued, as reported by AP.
"On Monday, I will issue an executive order to extend the period before the law's bans take effect, so we can reach an agreement to protect national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for companies that contributed to keeping TikTok operational before my order was issued," Trump wrote in the post.
In other words, out of commercial interest, but most likely also out of political interest, companies chose not to confront Trump, but to go along with him, thus reinstating TikTok.
On Sunday afternoon, users re-entering TikTok were greeted with a message thanking them and the president-elect for their support: "As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok has returned to the U.S.!"
"We thank President Trump for providing the clarity and assurance necessary to our service providers that they will not be penalized for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and for allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive," TikTok conveyed in a statement announcing that the app is once again operational in the U.S.
Trump showcased his success at the last MAGA rally before his inauguration, and the news of TikTok's return was met with cheers.
"Honestly, we have no choice, we have to save many jobs, we don't want to give our businesses to China, we don't want to give our businesses to others, and I said this: TikTok, without my approval as president, because the law gives the president the right to make a deal, to do whatever he wants (...), I said very simply: a joint venture. So, if TikTok is worth nothing, zero, without approval, if you don't approve, there is no business, it's worth nothing. If you approve, it's worth about a trillion dollars, a crazy figure, so I said: I will approve, but let the United States own 50% of TikTok. And I will approve on behalf of the United States," Trump explained.
He also stated that there is "no risk" in this deal with the Chinese government. "So, I don't know how that sounds, what do you think? Is it good? "I think so," he added.
"So whether you like TikTok or not, we're going to make a lot of money," concluded the president-elect.
This comes after Trump had threatened to shut down TikTok in the past. In fact, at yesterday's rally, he even admitted: "Can you believe what I was able to do to win the elections?".
"Trump's Brilliant Stunt"
TikTok announced that it had shut down the platform on Saturday night due to a federal law requiring parent company ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations by Sunday. The law, which was widely supported on a bipartisan basis in April, stipulates hefty fines, but has not been enforced.
The company operating TikTok in the U.S. stated on X that the steps Trump announced on Sunday provided "the clarification and assurance our service providers needed that they will not face sanctions."
"It was a brilliant marketing stunt for both TikTok and future President Donald Trump. By abruptly stopping the service, TikTok demonstrated how unpopular the ban was among its users," said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at market research firm Emarketer.
However, besides the strong public relations move Trump pulled off, evidenced by the cheers that greeted his announcement at the last MAGA rally before the inauguration, by issuing an order to suspend federal law, he would cast doubt on the rule of law in America. His action would constitute an attempt to temporarily neutralize a law that was passed with broad bipartisan support in Congress and unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court last week, as noted by New York Times.
What Will Trump Do Next
The law that went into effect on Sunday requires the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, to sever ties with the platform's U.S. operations due to national security concerns. However, the president is authorized to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale was in progress.
It is unclear how the actions promised by Trump will be legally possible, as the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the ban on Friday, and it went into effect a day before Trump returned to the White House.
Mike Gallagher, a Republican in the House of Representatives and the bill's sponsor, stated on Fox News on Sunday that there will be "no extension" for TikTok.
"Let me tell you, as someone who wrote the bill, the extension was within the 270-day period, which closed at 12:01 this morning," he said.
Gallagher added that an extension could only occur if the president certifies that there are "documents of legal obligations" indicating that a transfer of TikTok's U.S. operations is imminent.
"I think Trump can at least argue that the language is meant to cover any president," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.
Opinions in Congress are divided. Some members who voted for the sale or ban law, including some of Trump's Republican colleagues, remain in favor of it.
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas warned companies on Sunday not to provide technical support to TikTok. "Any company that hosts, distributes, provides services, or otherwise facilitates the communist-controlled TikTok may face overwhelming liability of hundreds of billions of dollars under the law," Cotton wrote on X. "Think about it," he cautioned.
However, constitutional and business law attorney Kirk McGill explained why TikTok is once again available in the United States, despite a law prohibiting it. In his view, Trump lacks the legal authority to suspend the ban, but it is unlikely that the issue will go to court during the period in which TikTok would need to find a buyer.
Moreover, it is unlikely that Apple or Google will face legal consequences if they continue to comply with the requests of the president-elect, given that the Trump administration would need to initiate any legal action, McGill said.
"In the next week or two, before the courts have a chance to do anything, this will certainly be a political battle, not a legal one," the attorney noted.