After going dark earlier in the day, TikTok began restoring service for U.S. users following a series of back-and-forth statements between the social media app and president-elect Donald Trump, who vowed to sign an executive order delaying the new U.S. law banning a Chinese-owned TikTok in the U.S. sometime following his inauguration Monday.
"I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark," Trump posted on his own social media network, Truth Social, adding: "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. 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 added that he would "like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture," presumably meaning a U.S.-based company, although it's unclear whether a 50/50 joint venture with TikTok's Chinese ownership fulfills the U.S. law, which sought to have China divest of its ownership of TikTok U.S. altogether.
advertisement
advertisement
"With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions," Trump posted.
In a statement posted on the X platform, @TikTokPolicy said it was in the process of restoring access to 170 million U.S. users, and plans to "work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States."