After going dark for less than 24 hours, TikTok has confirmed it is “restoring service” after President-elect Donald Trump confirmed he will enact an executive order to extend the app’s ban deadline during his first day in office.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok stated. “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.”
It seemed all was lost for the ubiquitous video-sharing app after the Supreme Court upheld President Joe Biden’s April legislation for a nationwide ban, deeming it constitutional to shut the service down if ByteDance didn’t sell its shares of TikTok to an American buyer by Jan 19.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the Supreme Court wrote Friday morning. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”
However, on Saturday, Trump teased in an interview with NBC that he would “most likely” grant TikTok a 90-day grace period to avoid getting banned. He confirmed his intentions Sunday morning on Truth Social, writing that he would “issue an executive order” to save the app during the first day of his presidential term.
“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,” Trump wrote. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”