Approximately 12 hours after shutting down in the United States, TikTok came back online Sunday for many users … almost like it never left.
The come-back is attributed to a move by President-elect Donald Trump to save the app.
On Saturday, the app was also unavailable on the Apple and Google Play stores, along with Lemon8 and CapCut, which are also owned by TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance.
On Sunday, January 19, Trump said he would issue an executive order following his inauguration on January 20, to delay enforcement of the divest-or-ban law.
Following his statement, within hours, access to TikTok’s app and webpage began to return for US users.
Many feel it is a backward step. Citiung that China has been censoring the U.S. media on the Chinese-owned news app, NewsBreak for years.
On Sunday, some of Trump’s followers turned to social media. Paul J., wrote on Facebook, “Trump, who in the past has been anti-China, now seems to be catering to them. Not cool!!”
Additionally, Facebook was banned in China in 2009. The communist country blocked access to Facebook as part of its internet censorship practices, often referred to as the “Great Firewall of China.”
One thing is certain, Trump may be poised to score a major political victory by claiming responsibility for bringing back TikTok.
In a statement midday Sunday, TikTok said Trump’s promise to save the app allowed it to restore US users’ access even before his expected executive order is signed.
In a statement, ByteDance, said, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
On Sunday, in a Truth Social post, Trump stated that he plans to issue an executive order following his inauguration on Monday to “extend the time for [the TikTok ban] before the law’s prohibitions take effect so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”
He urged TikTok’s partners to allow the app to be restored, saying “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
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