TikTok was made available to certain U.S. users on Sunday after President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would sign an executive order on Monday, post his inauguration, to postpone a federal ban on the app. The company stated that it would restore access for its American users.
TikTok mentioned, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.” The company expressed gratitude to President Trump for assuring service providers that they would not face penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and supporting over 7 million small businesses.
The company emphasized that the decision was a strong defense of the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. They also expressed willingness to collaborate with President Trump on a lasting solution to keep TikTok operational in the United States.
Trump, on his social media app Truth Social, announced that he would issue an executive order on Monday to delay the impending ban. He urged companies not to keep TikTok offline. Despite the ban, some users managed to access TikTok on Sunday through mobile apps and desktops.
The ban on TikTok was scheduled to be enforced on Sunday due to ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, not having divested the company to a non-Chinese entity. The Supreme Court upheld the law on Friday, which would ban the app and penalize third-party internet service providers like Apple and Google if they continued to support TikTok post-ban.
Although TikTok pledged to reinstate service in the U.S. following Trump’s announcement, the company’s future remains uncertain under the current law. Trump proposed that the U.S. should have 50% ownership of TikTok in a joint venture to ensure its continuity. However, ByteDance has reiterated that they have no intentions of selling the company.
