TikTok announced it is “in the process of restoring its service” in the United States, stating that it will collaborate with President-elect Donald Trump on a long-term strategy to keep the social media platform operational in the country.
The app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, halted operations for its 170 million American users following the implementation of a law banning its continued use due to concerns regarding the potential misuse of American data by Chinese authorities.
In a post on X, TikTok expressed gratitude to Mr. Trump for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for offering TikTok” to users in the U.S.
“It’s a strong position for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship,” the company stated.
“I would like the United States to hold a 50% ownership stake in a joint venture,” Mr. Trump mentioned on social media.
The White House emphasized that it is up to the incoming administration to take appropriate actions.
These developments follow comments from Mr. Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who told CNN that the Republican has not dismissed the possibility of continued Chinese ownership of TikTok, coupled with “firewalls to ensure that data is protected” on American soil.
Mr. Waltz added that Mr. Trump is working to “save TikTok” and that an extension is necessary to evaluate potential deals regarding the app.
He noted that every company in China has some link to the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok notified users attempting to access the app in the U.S.: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated he will collaborate with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
Other ByteDance-owned apps, including the video editing tool Capcut and the lifestyle app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in U.S. app stores.
Users attempting to log into TikTok were greeted with a message indicating that the law would “force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible.”
It remained unclear whether any U.S. users could still access the app; however, it was no longer functional for many, and those trying to access it through a web application saw the same notification of its unavailability.
The Chinese-owned app, which has captivated nearly half of all Americans, fueled small businesses and influenced online culture, previously stated that it would cease operations in the U.S. unless President Joe Biden’s administration provided assurances to companies like Apple and Google against enforcement actions upon a ban’s implementation.
Under a law passed last year, which was upheld on Friday by a unanimous Supreme Court, the platform had until today to sever ties with its China-based parent, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S. operations to address concerns related to national security threats.
The White House reiterated that it is up to the incoming administration to act.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump administration assumes office on Monday,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comments on the latest White House statement.
The Chinese embassy in Washington accused the U.S. of employing unfair state power to suppress TikTok.
“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesperson declared.
