Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

When TikTok users logged on Saturday night, they were greeted with a surprise: the app had shut down in the United States hours before the Jan. 19 ban was to go into effect. The pop up message displayed on screens across the country said that while the app wasn’t operating, it expressed hope that a deal could be brokered with then President-elect Donald Trump.

Less than 24 hours after the social media platform went dark, the app resumed its operations in the U.S. shortly after Trump made a statement calling for the app to be restored ahead of his inauguration broadcast. When users reopened the app Sunday morning, they were met with a message from TikTok thanking Trump for his support, CNN reported.

“Welcome back!” read TikTok’s message to all users Sunday afternoon. “… As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”

As one of his first acts as president, Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting the enforcement of the law requiring ByteDance, the Chinese tech company that manages TikTok, to sell its app to an American-based company. The order grants the app a 75-day extension in U.S. operation, giving the new administration time to negotiate an agreement.

In April 2024, Congress passed a national TikTok ban with bipartisan support due to concerns about national security, as some American lawmakers believe TikTok’s Chinese ownership poses a risk with the mishandling of data privacy and promotion of Chinese propaganda. After the Supreme Court upheld the ban, TikTok made itself completely unavailable to U.S. customers for over 12 hours on Saturday evening.

There remains uncertainty about the legality of the president’s order, as lawmakers question the executive’s power to block federal law. During this extension, the government and the U.S. Department of Justice won’t enforce the previous law or impose penalties on app marketplaces that continue to support TikTok, according to NBC.

Despite its restoration, Apple and Google’s app stores haven’t reinstated TikTok and other ByteDance-owned apps, including CapCut, Lemon8, TikTok Shop and Studio. Other app sellers such as Oracle and Akamai have restored access to the app, according to Forbes.

Trump has also threatened to levy tariffs on imports from China if ByteDance refuses to approve the app’s sale. The app’s creators have repeatedly denied any ties to the Chinese government.

Apple posted an update on its webpage describing the company’s obligation to follow the initial law banning the app, making it unavailable to download.

ByteDance hasn’t signaled a willingness to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based company, and with Trump’s executive order in place, it remains unknown if that will change.

Under current arrangements, the app will continue to operate in the U.S. until April 5.

Published on January 21, 2025 at 11:03 pm

Contact Shivika: sgupta38@syr.edu