After the president-elect’s post, TikTok announced it had restored access in the the United States ahead of Trump taking office Monday.
President-elect Donald Trump said on Jan. 19 that he is asking tech companies to keep social media platform TikTok online and would sign an executive order postponing the federal ban of the social media website in the United States.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
Trump’s announcement was made as millions of U.S. users found they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.
After the president-elect’s post, TikTok announced it had restored access in the the United States. The platform is available again to U.S.-based users.
The platform previously became unavailable in the United States on Saturday night before a federal ban on the Chinese-owned short-video app took effect. The law requires TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell its U.S. operation to an approved buyer by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the United States,” a message on the app stated on Saturday night.
“Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
Both Google and Apple removed the app from their digital marketplaces to comply with the federal law.
On Sunday, the Apple App Store posted a statement about the ongoing ban, indicating that both TikTok and all apps from parent company ByteDance are no longer available in the United States, leaving domestic users with limited access to features.
“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates. Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries … will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting Jan. 19, 2025,” the statement reads.
By Jacob Burg
