TikTok said on Sunday that it is “in the process of restoring” the app's functionality in the United States. This happened after Donald Trump's recent announcements regarding the future of the platform in the US. The company says it will work with the president on a long-term solution.
“In consultation with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing our service providers with the clarity they need and ensuring they will not face any penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and enabling over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” they wrote platform authorities in a statement.
So far, the website has been restored, but the application is still unavailable – at least for some users – in USA in Google and Apple app stores.
READ ALSO: Apple and Google have removed the popular app
TikTok's operation is restored in the US after several hours of interruption caused by the entry into force of a law intended to end the operation of the application under Chinese control.
TikTok announced its return just after the president-elect Donald Trump assured that companies providing the application will not be held responsible for breaking the new law and that on Monday he intends to suspend the operation of the law for 90 days.
Trump also announced that he would like to transform TikTok into a joint venture with “50 percent share of the United States”, but did not exclude the possibility of further co-control of the company by the current Chinese owner.
TikTok – whose CEO Shou Chew was invited along with other CEOs of digital giants to Trump's inauguration – in a statement praised the president-elect for his “strong stance on the First Amendment (guaranteeing freedom of speech – ed.) and opposition to arbitrary censorship.”
“We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” the company said.
This is the message seen by TikTok users in the US todayERIK S. LESSER /EPA/PAP
Trump has warmed up to TikTok
Already in 2020, Trump, as president, tried to force the Chinese owner of TikTok to sell the platform, but when his idea was implemented by Congress in the spring of 2024 through a law, he changed his mind. In recent weeks, he emphasized that the application owes its increase in popularity among young people.
Safety concerns
The new law, which came into force on Sunday, allows the president to extend its entry into force by 90 days, but it is unclear whether this is possible after the act has already entered into force. According to the law, the condition for TikTok's continued operation in the US is its sale to a foreign entity China.
The reason for passing the TikTok bill – adopted by the vast majority of congressmen in both parties – was concerns about the security of user data sent to China and the fact that Chinese law obliges domestic companies to cooperate with the services. This raised concerns among Congress and the outgoing administration about the use of the application, among others. for espionage activities and manipulation of public opinion in the USA.
The bill was passed after the administration rejected TikTok's project, which promised to collect US user data on servers in Texas. These plans were deemed insufficient because they still allowed user data to be transferred to China.
Main photo source: ERIK S. LESSER/EPA.PAP