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Tuesday, Jan 21, 2025
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TikTok Restored in the U.S. Following Trump inauguration
President-elect Donald Trump announces executive order delaying federal ban on TikTok
TikTok services in the United States were restored on Sunday evening after being temporarily suspended earlier in the day.
The suspension followed the enactment of a federal law banning the app, citing national security concerns.
Hours later, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order delaying the ban to allow negotiations on a potential agreement.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, confirmed the restoration of services, attributing the move to assurances provided by Trump.
ByteDance thanked the president for clarifying that service providers would face no penalties for supporting TikTok’s operations during the interim period.
Earlier reports indicated that TikTok had been removed from Apple and Google app stores in the U.S., and its website was inaccessible for many users.
The controversy stems from a law passed in April 2024 requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a neutral entity by January 19, 2025. Failure to comply with this mandate led to the implementation of the ban.
ByteDance had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the law violated free speech rights for the platform's 170 million U.S. users, but the court unanimously rejected the appeal last Friday.
President-elect Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to issue an executive order on Monday to extend the deadline, aiming to provide time for a negotiated solution that addresses national security concerns.
He assured that companies aiding TikTok's temporary restoration would not face legal repercussions.
In an NBC interview, Trump emphasized the complexity of the situation, hinting at a possible extension if ByteDance demonstrates progress toward selling its U.S. operations.
The legal battle over TikTok has sparked political and public debate in the U.S. Demonstrations against the ban occurred in Washington, with protesters highlighting the platform's cultural significance.
ByteDance executives, including TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, are expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, reflecting ongoing efforts to engage with the incoming administration.
Efforts to regulate TikTok's activities in the U.S. date back to Trump’s first term in 2020, when he sought to mandate its sale to an American company.
Reports suggest that a meeting between Trump and Jeff Yass, a key ByteDance investor and prominent Republican donor, influenced the recent shift in Trump’s stance on the platform’s operations.
The suspension followed the enactment of a federal law banning the app, citing national security concerns.
Hours later, President-elect Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order delaying the ban to allow negotiations on a potential agreement.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, confirmed the restoration of services, attributing the move to assurances provided by Trump.
ByteDance thanked the president for clarifying that service providers would face no penalties for supporting TikTok’s operations during the interim period.
Earlier reports indicated that TikTok had been removed from Apple and Google app stores in the U.S., and its website was inaccessible for many users.
The controversy stems from a law passed in April 2024 requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to a neutral entity by January 19, 2025. Failure to comply with this mandate led to the implementation of the ban.
ByteDance had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the law violated free speech rights for the platform's 170 million U.S. users, but the court unanimously rejected the appeal last Friday.
President-elect Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that he plans to issue an executive order on Monday to extend the deadline, aiming to provide time for a negotiated solution that addresses national security concerns.
He assured that companies aiding TikTok's temporary restoration would not face legal repercussions.
In an NBC interview, Trump emphasized the complexity of the situation, hinting at a possible extension if ByteDance demonstrates progress toward selling its U.S. operations.
The legal battle over TikTok has sparked political and public debate in the U.S. Demonstrations against the ban occurred in Washington, with protesters highlighting the platform's cultural significance.
ByteDance executives, including TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, are expected to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, reflecting ongoing efforts to engage with the incoming administration.
Efforts to regulate TikTok's activities in the U.S. date back to Trump’s first term in 2020, when he sought to mandate its sale to an American company.
Reports suggest that a meeting between Trump and Jeff Yass, a key ByteDance investor and prominent Republican donor, influenced the recent shift in Trump’s stance on the platform’s operations.
