TikTok resumed services in the US on Sunday after a temporary shutdown due to a ban imposed by the Biden administration over national security concerns. The platform expressed gratitude to President-elect Donald Trump for his promise of an executive order delaying the enforcement of the ban by 90 days, giving ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, time to negotiate a deal with U.S. authorities.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said in a statement. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
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In a statement announcing his impending order, Trump emphasized the need to protect national security while allowing time for a potential sale, proposing the U.S. take a 50% ownership stake in a joint venture with TikTok.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! 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,” he said. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
Trump’s executive order would prevent any liability for companies that assisted in keeping TikTok operational during this period. According to the president-elect’s remarks, a final ownership model that allows China to continue to own 50% of the company would be acceptable.
This decision has brought relief to more than 170 million American users, as well as small businesses that rely on TikTok for income, although the app remains unavailable on most app stores.
The Supreme Court had previously upheld legislation requiring TikTok’s divestiture from Chinese ownership to address data privacy issues. However, the outgoing Biden administration deferred enforcement of that decision to Trump’s Department of Justice,
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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