TikTok was back online for U.S. users after just 12 hours following its initial blackout.
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In a dramatic series of events that reshaped America’s social media landscape over the weekend, TikTok has resumed operations following its scheduled ban, thanks to intervention by — at the time of writing — President-elect Donald Trump. The move represents a remarkable reversal for Trump, who in 2020 attempted to ban the platform through executive order, calling it a threat to national security. Now, with over 14.9 million followers on the platform, he positions himself as its defender.
In his proposed framework via Truth Social on Sunday, Trump outlined a structure where “the United States gets a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” indicating plans to issue an executive order following today’s inauguration that would extend the grace period before the law’s prohibitions take effect.
TikTok’s restoration marks a significant shift in the ongoing regulatory challenges facing Chinese-owned tech companies operating in the United States. The short-form video app, which serves approximately 170 million American users, became unusable late Saturday night following a Supreme Court decision that upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Users attempting to access the platform encountered a message stating: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
By Sunday afternoon, however — approximately 12 hours after the initial shutdown — TikTok began restoring service to existing users, though the restoration process proved uneven. Users reported mixed accessibility levels, with some regaining full access to both web browsers and mobile apps, while others could only access certain platform features.
While existing users have regained varying levels of account access, significant technical restrictions remain in place. The app continues to be unavailable for new downloads on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Additionally, ByteDance’s sister applications — including the video editing tool CapCut and the lifestyle-focused platform Lemon8 — remain inaccessible to U.S. users, highlighting the broader impact of the legislation.
Big Tech Impact
TikTok’s unbanning will be welcome news for the app’s millions of U.S. users.
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Despite assurances that the Biden administration would defer enforcement to the incoming Trump administration, service providers expressed significant concerns about the ban. A person close to TikTok told CNN that “multiple critical service providers” had indicated their concerns to TikTok about potential enforcement starting Sunday. The stakes are substantial — under the legislation, companies faced potential penalties of up to $5,000 per user who accesses TikTok, a figure that could amount to billions in fines given the platform’s 170 million U.S. users.
Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s content in the United States, was among the service providers affected by the legislation. Trump’s announcement appears to have provided enough clarity for these companies to maintain their support, though the long-term legal framework remains undefined.
App marketplace operators also took immediate action in response to the legislation. Apple’s statement outlined its position clearly — “Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates.” While the app remains accessible for customers who already downloaded it, Apple confirmed that it “will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States.” Google’s Play Store implemented similar restrictions.
TikTok’s Future
TikTok CEO Shou Zi has expressed his gratitude to Trump following the blackout’s reversal.
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Overall, the restoration of TikTok appears to offer U.S. technology partners a critical window to evaluate their operational strategies. The company’s official statement emphasized the platform’s commitment to maintaining U.S. operations — “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.”
While Trump’s proposed executive order may provide immediate relief from penalties however, service providers are likely to face complex decisions about infrastructure investments and compliance protocols amid regulatory uncertainty.
As for TikTok CEO Shou Chew, he is expected to attend today’s inauguration ceremony, signaling continued engagement between the platform and the incoming administration. This could be crucial given the technical implementation of Trump’s proposed solution, given the significant regulatory hurdles. While his anticipated executive order may provide temporary relief however, any permanent solution would likely require either new legislation or fundamental changes to TikTok’s U.S. operations architecture.
For the immediate future, the platform’s weekend shutdown and subsequent restoration represents a critical inflection point in the ongoing discourse surrounding data privacy, national security and the integration of Chinese technology platforms in Western markets.
