After more than 13 hours of the app going dark, TikTok says its in the process of restoring its services. The platform said in an X post on Sunday (Jan. 19) that it had been told service providers would “face no penalties.”
STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:
In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. 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…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
It added: “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. 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.”
President-elect Donald Trump, who had earlier supported banning the platform, announced on Sunday that he would delay the law’s implementation to give more time for a deal to be worked out. Shortly after, the app started functioning again, and a popup message appeared thanking Trump by name to its millions of users.
Some users are saying they can fully access the platform on web browsers and the mobile app, while others are finding that they can use the full website but only certain parts of the app.
On Saturday, CEO Shou Zi Chew posted an Instagram Reel telling its users that the Chinese-owned company had been “fighting to protect the constitutional right to free speech,” reiterating their gratitude for Trump in the process.
The platform, owned by ByteDance, was banned because the government argued that TikTok’s Chinese parent company poses a national security risk.
Trump floats joint US ownership idea for TikTok
Trump took to Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, and posted: “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
He also suggested the idea of the United States taking “a 50% ownership position in a joint venture” for TikTok.
However, after Trump stepped in, Senator Tom Cotton, the Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee from Arkansas, pushed back against him. Cotton warned that any company helping TikTok stay online would be violating the law.
Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs. Think about… https://t.co/XamZ1qAk2K
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 19, 2025
Writing on social media, he said: “Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs. Think about it.”
Under the current law, a president can delay the TikTok ban by 90 days, but only if there’s proof that “significant progress” is being made toward a potential sale.
Featured image: Grok