Just over 12 hours after TikTok went down in the United States, the video-sharing app is coming back online.
“In agreement with our service provider, TikTok is working to restore service,” the company said in a statement. “To bring TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allow over 7 million small businesses to thrive, please provide us with the clarity and assurance we need that service providers will not be penalized. Thank you President Trump.”
A law was scheduled to go into effect Sunday that would force TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to sell the app or ban it in the United States. The law also made it illegal for U.S. companies to help distribute, maintain, or update apps.
As President-elect Donald Trump approaches his inauguration, President Joe Biden’s White House and Justice Department officials have said law enforcement will be left to the Trump administration, but TikTok is not listed as a “critical service provider.” We need a final statement, otherwise the app will go dark. And indeed, the app stopped working on Saturday night and disappeared from the Apple and Google Play app stores.
But early Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump posted that he would issue an executive order to delay the ban, suggesting that “Americans deserve to see an exciting inauguration ceremony on the 20th, so I hope TikTok returns soon.” did. Monday. To that end, he said his order “confirms that companies that helped keep TikTok from going dark prior to my order are not responsible.”
This appears to have been enough reassurance for TikTok and its service providers. At the time the company issued its statement, the TikTok app was already working again for several TechCrunch writers. However, as of 1:05 p.m. ET, it doesn’t appear to be in Apple’s app store or Google Play yet.
Moreover, not all members of Congress participated. In response to TikTok’s announcement, Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton said, “Companies that host, distribute, service, or promote the communist-controlled TikTok could face catastrophic liability in the hundreds of billions of dollars.” Posted.
President Trump’s Sunday morning post said his “initial thoughts” on a deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. included “current owners and/or new ownership where the U.S. would get 50% ownership.” It was also suggested that this would include “joint ventures between parties.”
TikTok said in a statement that it will “work with President Trump on a long-term solution to keep TikTok in the United States.”