Washington D.C. – January 21, 2025 – After a short-lived ban that saw TikTok disappear from US app stores late Saturday, the popular video-sharing platform is back online for American users. The restoration follows a last-minute intervention by the newly inaugurated President, who pledged to “make a deal to protect our national security” and claimed a 50% ownership stake in the company as part of a “joint venture.”
This dramatic turn of events comes after months of escalating tensions surrounding TikTok’s Chinese ownership and concerns over potential data misuse. The ban, enacted through legislation passed by Congress, cited national security risks associated with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. However, the incoming President vowed to circumvent the law with an executive order, effectively granting TikTok a reprieve and preventing the app from going dark permanently.
“We are fortunate that President [the newly inaugurated President] has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok,” a message displayed to TikTok users stated, highlighting the President’s direct involvement in the app’s restoration. This message, along with the President’s own pronouncements on Truth Social, frames him as the savior of TikTok, a narrative likely to resonate with the app’s vast user base.
The move has been met with mixed reactions. While many TikTok users and creators celebrated the app’s return, concerns remain about the legality and long-term implications of the President’s intervention.
“Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date,” Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts argued in a joint statement, emphasizing the need for a complete divestiture from ByteDance to comply with the law. “For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law’s qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China.”
This sentiment echoes the concerns raised by US officials who have long warned about the potential for American user data to be misused by the Chinese government. The President’s proposed “joint venture” with a 50% ownership stake raises questions about whether this arrangement truly addresses these national security concerns.
Meanwhile, the temporary shutdown triggered a flurry of activity. Web searches for VPNs surged as users sought ways to bypass the ban, and marketing firms reliant on TikTok scrambled to adjust their strategies. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s planned attendance at the presidential inauguration and a rally with the President underscore the company’s eagerness to secure its future in the US market.
The saga is far from over. The President’s proposed deal faces potential legal challenges and scrutiny from Congress. The future of TikTok in the US hinges on navigating these complexities and finding a solution that balances national security concerns with the interests of millions of American users and creators.
