Some American TikTok users can continue using the app for entertainment or business operations after President-elect Donald Trump promised to delay the federal ban by signing an executive order on Monday.
TikTok confirmed it is in the process of restoring its service and expressed gratitude to President Trump on X, thanking him for allowing 170 million Americans and 7 million small businesses to continue accessing the app without penalties. TikTok also stated its intention to work with Trump on a long-term solution to prevent the ban.
Originally on late Saturday night, TikTok was shut down in the US and removed from app stores. ByteDance, the China-based owner, had attempted to appeal the law requiring the company to either shut down the app in the US or divest ownership to a non-Chinese entity. However, the Supreme Court upheld the law in a ruling last Friday.
Nevertheless, TikTok’s future remains uncertain as ByteDance remains firm in its decision not to sell the company. Although Trump has extended the deadline, he also stated on Truth Social that he prefers for the US to hold 50% ownership of the application to “keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up.”
