The US witnessed significant developments in the TikTok saga. Following a 12-hour downtime, the popular short video platform managed to resume services in the United States due to the change in presidential leadership. With over 170 million American users, TikTok faced one of its biggest challenges just before President Trump’s return to the White House.
“According to our service providers, we are in the process of restoring TikTok’s service”said TikTok CEO in an official statement. “We appreciate President Trump’s efforts to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers, ensuring they won’t face sanctions for offering TikTok to over 170 million Americans and enabling more than 7 million small businesses to thrive.”.
President Trump announced on social media that TikTok would receive a 90-day postponement before the final implementation of the ban, a decision made just days before his official return to the presidency.
Timeline of Events
A law came into effect on Sunday, mandating ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the application to an American company. Failure to comply would result in a ban on the platform in the country. Additionally, the regulations declared it illegal for US companies to support the distribution, maintenance, or updating of TikTok.
This development led several critical service providers to withdraw their support, fearing legal repercussions, despite officials from the White House and the Department of Justice clarifying that the implementation of the law would fall under President Trump’s administration.
However, this did not prevent TikTok from going offline on Saturday, January 18. The application disappeared from the Apple and Google Play stores, making new downloads impossible. Before the law came into effect, the company informed its 170 million US users that the platform was no longer available due to the imposed prohibition.
The situation took a turn when TikTok announced that President Trump had expressed his willingness to collaborate with the company to restore normal operations. He assured that there would be no retaliation against companies that tried to work with the platform.
Uncertainty Surrounds TikTok’s Future
Although TikTok is operational again, its future in the United States remains uncertain. Key questions that remain to be resolved include:
- Will the law banning TikTok be repealed?
- Will ByteDance need to find a new buyer to comply with legal requirements?
One proposed solution could be a joint venture between the current and new owners, giving the US government a 50% stake in TikTok. TikTok has confirmed that it will work with the Trump administration to find a long-term solution that allows it to continue operating in the country.
Notable names have expressed interest in purchasing TikTok, including Elon Musk, MrBeast, Kick, Frank McCourt, and Perplexity AI. The coming months could be crucial for TikTok’s future in one of its most important markets.