The social network TikTok has resumed service for 170 million users in the U.S. after President-elect Donald Trump announced he would grant the app a reprieve from the ban following his inauguration on Monday, reports Kazpravda.kz citing BBC.
On the eve of this announcement, Trump stated that he intends to provide a 90-day extension and will make a corresponding statement after taking office.
In April 2024, the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring the Chinese company ByteDance to sell the platform to an American company. Otherwise, the social network was set to be banned starting January 19, 2025. ByteDance refused to sell the platform to avoid the ban.
On Sunday, the app owned by the Chinese company ceased operations for American users due to concerns that Chinese authorities could gain access to their data. Users saw a message indicating that TikTok was unavailable when attempting to open the app.
In a subsequent statement, TikTok mentioned that it was in the process of "restoring service." The company thanked the President-elect for providing "necessary clarity and assurance" and stated that it would work with Trump "on a long-term solution that would allow TikTok to remain in the United States." Following this, TikTok applications on various platforms became accessible to users again.
On Sunday, Trump wrote on his social network, Truth Social:
"I urge companies not to allow TikTok to remain unavailable! On Monday, I will issue an order extending the time frame until the ban law goes into effect so we can make a deal to protect our national security."
TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, previously ignored the law requiring it to sell its U.S. divisions to avoid the ban. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday and took effect on Sunday.
The platform enjoys immense popularity among millions of American users. It has also proven to be a valuable tool for American political campaigns to attract young voters.
TikTok claims it has 170 million users in the U.S., who, on average, spent 51 minutes per day on the app in 2024.
Trump has previously advocated for a ban on TikTok but has recently admitted to having a "soft spot" for the app, citing the billions of views his videos received on the platform during last year's presidential campaign.
According to the law passed in April last year, the American version of the app must be removed from app stores and web hosting services. TikTok claims that this law violates users' freedom of speech in the country.
In many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, TikTok is already banned on devices used by government employees. In some countries, such as India, it faces a more comprehensive ban.