TMTPOST -- TikTok announced on Sunday the short video application is restoring its service in the United States after the U.S. president-elect Donald Trump vowed actions to delay a sell-or-ban law once he takes office.
Credit：Pixabay
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” TikTok said in a statesmen on Elon Musk’s social media platform X. The company thanked Trump for his providing the necessary clarity and assurance to its service providers. “We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States,” TikTok added.
The statement marks TikTok resumed its U.S. service less than a day. The popular app said late Saturday it was unavailable for U.S. users ahead of a deadline of possible ban on Sunday, while suggesting solution would soon be worked out under the incoming Trump administration.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” TikTok told users in a message Saturday night. “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
A few hours after TikTok U.S. went dark, Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform about his plan to pause the pending ban with an executive order on his first day in office.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” Trump wrote in the post. “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 also told NBC News Saturday that he will “most likely” extend the deadline of a potential ban on TikTok by 90 days, and unveil the decision on his inauguration day. “I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said in the phone interview,” said Trump. He added that “If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
Trump at weekend reiterated his commitment to saving TikTok after the latest ruling of the Supreme Court that dealed a blow to TikTok. The Supreme Court justices unanimously upheld the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) that forces TikTok to shutter its U.S. operation unless the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. to divest the super popular short video platform by Sunday.
For the court, U.S. Congress passed the Act and determined that divestiture is necessary to address its “well-supported national security concerns”, which became a deciding factor in how it weighed the case.
The Act imposes TikTok-specific prohibitions due to a foreign adversary’s control over the platform and make divestiture a prerequisite for the platform’s continued operation in the United States, while it does not target particular speech based upon its content, according to the justices.
In a video posted following the court ruling, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew vowed the company "will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives" for the years to come. Chew said the company its users "have been fighting to protect the constitutional right to free speech for the more than 170 million Americans" who use the popular platform every day.
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