In a sharp shift from his earlier stance, Trump credited TikTok for connecting him with young voters and vowed to delay a national security ban. TikTok express gratitude for his support, restoring access to millions of U.S. users.
BY PC Bureau
TikTok announced Sunday it was restoring its service to U.S. users after President-elect Donald Trump confirmed plans to delay enforcement of a law banning the app. At his Victory Rally in Washington, D.C., Trump stated, “Frankly, we have no choice—we have to save it,” pledging to issue an executive order after his inauguration to provide the platform with a 90-day reprieve.
TikTok expressed gratitude to Trump for providing “clarity and assurance” to service providers, ensuring they won’t face penalties while the app regains access to over 170 million U.S. users. A previous outage on Saturday had left TikTok’s future uncertain under a law requiring its Chinese parent, ByteDance, to divest U.S. operations due to national security concerns.
🚨#BREAKING Trump Saves TikTok
⚠️ Trump announces plans to issue an executive order on MONDAY to keep TikTok running#TikTokライブ #tiktokban #Tiktok pic.twitter.com/8fO00ogaSH
— Culture War (@CultureWar2020) January 19, 2025
Despite bipartisan support for the ban, Trump’s intervention marks a sharp reversal from his 2020 stance. The president-elect credited TikTok for helping connect with younger voters during his 2024 campaign, stating he now has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok.”
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Republican Opposition and Growing Tensions
Not all Republicans back Trump’s move to extend TikTok’s U.S. operations. Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts criticized the delay, urging compliance with the divestment law and decrying ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the law, requiring TikTok to sever ties with its parent company or shut down operations.
The law has drawn sharp criticism from Beijing, with the Chinese Embassy calling it an abuse of state power. Meanwhile, rival platforms such as Meta and Snap have seen a surge in stock value as users explored alternatives amid the uncertainty.
TikTok’s Next Steps
As ByteDance evaluates potential buyers for TikTok’s U.S. operations, rumors have swirled about possible suitors, including Elon Musk and U.S. firms like Perplexity AI. ByteDance denies reports of talks with Musk but has acknowledged discussions with other interested parties.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, further underscoring the company’s ongoing efforts to secure its place in the U.S. market.
