TikTok returns after Trump promises to postpone the ban

TikTok is back online in the United States after being briefly shut down before the start of a ban that was scheduled to begin on Sunday.

TikTok said Sunday in a Posting on social media platform It was in the process of restoring service after reaching agreements with service providers. This came after President-elect Donald Trump urged the company to resume operations, promising that service providers would not be held liable.

“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not face any penalties,” TikTok said, calling the move “a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”

“We will work with President Trump to find a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” the statement read.

TikTok was shut down in the US on Saturday evening, telling users there that the platform was currently unavailable to them due to a law prohibiting it. But Trump said Sunday morning that he would sign an executive order shortly after his inauguration that would postpone the ban.

In a post on his Truth Social platformTrump asked companies that provide the online support needed for TikTok to operate in the United States — which could face heavy fines for violating the ban — not to let the app “go dark,” saying an executive order delaying implementation of the ban would come on Monday.

Trump said in his post: “Americans deserve to see our exciting inauguration on Monday, in addition to other events and conversations.”

Trump went on to suggest creating a joint venture in which the United States would have a 50% stake, although he did not specify whether he meant a US company or the US government.

“By doing this, we are saving TikTok, keeping it in good hands and allowing it to express itself,” Trump said. “Without US approval, there would be no TikTok. With our approval, it would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars — perhaps trillions.”

The US lockdown came after a flurry of announcements ahead of the weekend that made it uncertain what would happen to the popular social media platform on Sunday, when the US ban was due to begin. TikTok warned that it may “go dark,” at least for a day. But some observers speculated that it could stick around, at least for a while.

Trump said on Saturday before the shutdown that he would likely give TikTok a reprieve for several months. This came after conflicting statements from TikTok and the outgoing Biden administration, which said it would leave implementation of the ban to the next president.

TikTok said on Friday night that it would “go dark” on Sunday unless it received clear assurances from government officials that the ban would not be implemented. “Statements from the White House and Department of Justice failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance” to the service providers required to make TikTok available in the United States, TikTok said in a statement on X.

“Unless the Biden administration immediately provides a final statement to satisfy the most critical service providers to ensure non-implementation, unfortunately, TikTok will be forced to cease operations on January 19,” the company said.

But on Saturday morning, the White House called TikTok’s comments a stunt. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement provided to the media that the company’s statement “is a ruse.” “We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday.”

The White House had issued a statement He said Friday that Biden’s position on TikTok has not changed — and he still believes TikTok should remain available to Americans, but under ownership that satisfies the government’s national security concerns. The statement said: “Given the reality of the timing, this administration realizes that measures to implement the law must fall to the next administration.” Jean-Pierre reiterated that position on Saturday, saying “TikTok and other companies must address any concerns” with the incoming Trump administration.

Saturday Trump He said NBC News said that after taking office, he would “most likely” delay the TikTok ban for 90 days. “If I decide to do it, I will probably announce it on Monday,” Trump told the newspaper. Such a postponement is permitted by the law authorizing the ban.

The latest statements from major players come after the US Supreme Court this week TikTok request rejected To repeal a law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year that would The app was effectively banned in the United States If ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, does not sell to a buyer deemed suitable by US officials by Sunday.

Earlier on Friday, the country’s highest court rejected TikTok’s argument that the ban violates the US company’s free speech rights, as well as the rights of its 170 million active US users. Instead, it sided with the government’s view that the ban was not about freedom of expression at all, but about freedom of expression Property and national security.

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Lawmakers in both political parties have long expressed concerns that TikTok could pose a national security threat and could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spread disinformation to advance China’s agenda.

TikTok continues to deny these accusations. Ahead of the vote in Congress earlier this year. TikTok has mobilized its users in the United StatesHe called on them to urge their representatives on Capitol Hill to vote against the ban. But the measure eventually passed by wide margins in both chambers of Congress and was signed by Biden.

Trump, who pushed for the ban during his first term, says he no longer supports it. Before the oral arguments, Trump’s lawyers were present Submit a friend note In this case. They did not take sides, but instead asked the court to postpone the ban to give Trump time to reach a “political solution.”

In a video Posted Friday afternoon on TikTok and other social media platforms, TikTok CEO Shou Chew did not say what TikTok planned to do or what American users will see when they open their apps after the deadline passes. Instead, he thanked Trump for pledging to work with TikTok to find a solution that would keep the app running in the United States.

“We are grateful and thrilled to have the support of a president who truly understands our platform — a president who has used TikTok to express his own ideas and viewpoints, connecting with the world and amassing more than 60 billion views of his content in the process.” “Chiu said.

So what’s next for lawmakers and TikTok? Here’s what you need to know.

What does the law do?

The law aims to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a buyer approved by US officials, in addition to ensuring that ByteDance cannot access US user data or control the TikTok algorithm that determines which videos US users see.

TikTok has been given nine months to comply, then a January 19 deadline, at which point the government can request its app be removed from US app stores. The president can grant a 90-day extension. Earlier this week, a pair of Senate Democrats announced LLegislation that would have given TikTok another nine monthsBut it was blocked by Republicans.

TikTok has long said that selling is not an option. If Trump grants a 90-day extension, it will not solve the problem if the company continues to refuse to sell.

Read more: TikTok loves giving financial advice. But don’t believe everything you hear

What is Trump’s position?

After originally calling for a ban during his first presidency, Trump said during the 2024 campaign that he did not support a ban and vowed to “save TikTok,” though he did not specify how he would do so.

During a press conference in December, Trump noted the role TikTok played during the election, crediting it with helping him collect the youth vote.

“TikTok has had an impact, so we’re taking a look at it,” Trump told the press. “I have a little warmth in my heart. I’ll be honest.”

Trump He said In March on CNBC’s Squawk Box, he said that although he still views the app as a national security risk, he no longer believes it should be banned, saying: “There are a lot of young kids on TikTok who are going to get hurt.” Go crazy without him.”

Trump added that banning TikTok would only strengthen the power of Facebook, which he described as the “enemy of the people.”

In September, Trump pledged to “Learn about TikTok“, according to a report by the Associated Press. But during… The interview aired last month on Meet the PressTrump did not directly say whether or how he would help TikTok avoid the ban.

Who opposed the TikTok ban?

Free speech and digital rights groups, as well as some security experts, have long opposed the idea of ​​a ban, saying targeting TikTok does nothing to solve broader problems with social media. Several have filed briefs with the Supreme Court in support of TikTok.

Instead, they argue, lawmakers would be better off passing comprehensive digital privacy laws that would protect Americans’ personal information by regulating the ability of all social media companies to collect, share and sell it.

Electronic Frontier Foundation Civil Liberties Director David Greene, who co-authored it Friend brief The EFF, which brought it to the court late last month, said it was “deeply disappointed” that the court chose to look beyond the free speech issues in the case and focus instead on the government’s “shaky data privacy concerns.”

He pointed out that America’s enemies have no shortage of other ways to steal, steal or buy Americans’ data.

“Banning or forcing the sale of a social media app will do almost nothing to protect Americans’ data privacy — only comprehensive consumer privacy legislation can achieve that goal,” Green said in a statement to the EFF.

CNET’s Edward Muir contributed to this report.