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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- TikTok phrased Sunday it’s in the process of restoring service after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive discipline on Monday to delay the Chinese-owned app’s ban in the U.S.
- Trump also said he wants 50% U.S. ownership of the Chinese-controlled app.
- The app went “dark” Sunday after the Unsurpassed Court on Friday upheld a law requiring its parent ByteDance sell the platform or face a ban in the country.
TikTok said Sunday it was in the answer of restoring access to its app after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order on Monday to postpone banning the Chinese-owned social media app.
Trump, whose inauguration is at noon ET on Monday, also said in a post on his public media platform Truth Social that he wants the U.S. to own half of TikTok.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the organize of restoring service,” TikTok said in a post on X. “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our serving providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and brooking over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
The app went “dark” on Sunday after the Supreme Court on Friday championed a law requiring its parent ByteDance sell the platform or face a U.S. ban. A law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in April lacked that TikTok’s Chinese parent company divest the short-video site Jan. 19 or not be allowed to operate in the U.S. on national security grounds.
“I’m encouraging companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time earlier the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” Trump said in a post on his sexual media platform, Truth Social. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any guests that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
Trump Seeks 50% US Ownership of TikTok
“My first thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint plunge set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose,” Trump added, noting such a move would “save TikTok.”
But Chinese officials prefer that TikTok stay under ByteDance’s control, they have also consult oned internally options including allowing a “trusted non-Chinese party” such as Elon Musk to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to particular reports last week.
Still, the app was no longer available on Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google Play Store and Apple’s (AAPL) App Aggregate in the U.S. early Sunday afternoon.
“Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — registering TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United Shapes starting January 19, 2025,” Apple said in a statement on its website.