TikTok says it’s restoring service within the US

It hasn’t even been a full day since ByteDance shut down TikTok in the US, and now it says the app is coming again. In an announcement posted on X Sunday afternoon, TikTok wrote, “In settlement with our service suppliers, TikTok is within the technique of restoring service.”

The assertion additionally thanked Trump, who can be sworn in on Monday and who beforehand mentioned he was contemplating giving TikTok an extension amid reports of potential bidders (although ByteDance has expressed no real interest in promoting). “We’ll work with President Trump on a long-term answer that retains TikTok in america,” TikTok mentioned.

On the time of this writing, the TikTok app is as soon as once more up and operating for me regardless of beforehand displaying a message saying I “cannot use TikTok for now.” Phew, what an agonizing — checks watch — 12 hours that was with out it. TikTok does not but appear to be again within the App Retailer or Google Play Retailer, although, so in case you deleted the app out of your cellphone, you may most likely have to attend just a little longer to get it again. CapCut, one of many other ByteDance-owned apps affected by the ban, additionally is not out there.

Whereas the legislation banning TikTok was set to enter impact right now, January 19, the outgoing administration has expressed that it could not be implementing it in Biden’s remaining hours as president. MSNBC reported on Saturday that White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre referred to as TikTok’s menace to go darkish “a stunt,” saying “we see no motive for TikTok or different corporations to take actions within the subsequent few days earlier than the Trump Administration takes workplace on Monday.” However TikTok maintained that it couldn’t keep on-line with out assurance that service suppliers wouldn’t be punished.

Trump chimed in on Sunday morning, writing on Fact Social, “I’m asking corporations to not let TikTok keep darkish! I’ll challenge an govt order on Monday to increase the time frame earlier than the legislation’s prohibitions take impact, in order that we are able to make a deal to guard our nationwide safety. The order may also affirm that there can be no legal responsibility for any firm that helped preserve TikTok from going darkish earlier than my order.”

He additionally outlined a obscure plan for the way he envisions TikTok’s future within the US. “I would love america to have a 50% possession place in a three way partnership. By doing this, we save TikTok, preserve it in good arms and permit it to say [sic] up. With out U.S. approval, there isn’t any Tik Tok.”

In accordance with NPR‘s Bobby Allyn, who spoke to an individual near the matter, Trump’s assertion was reassuring sufficient for TikTok’s internet suppliers Oracle and Akamai to revive service. However Apple and Google “nonetheless haven’t agreed to let TikTok return,” Allyn studies. Suppliers that don’t comply with the TikTok ban law have been threatened with penalties that might quantity to billions of {dollars}, so it is no shock we aren’t seeing TikTok again within the App Retailer or Google Play Retailer simply but. Apple has already said of its determination to tug TikTok and different ByteDance apps that it “is obligated to comply with the legal guidelines within the jurisdictions the place it operates.”

I positive hope you aren’t already exhausted by the backwards and forwards ridiculousness of this example as a result of, my associates, it’s not over.

Replace, January 19 2025, 5:20PM ET: This story has been up to date so as to add extra data from NPR on the suppliers which have restored service to TikTok.