TikTok resumes service in the US

Just over 12 hours after TikTok was shut down in the United States, the video-sharing app is back online.

“TikTok is restoring service under agreements with our service providers,” the company said in a statement. “We thank President Trump for providing our service providers with the necessary clarity and assurance that they Providing TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and allowing more than 7 million small businesses to thrive without facing any penalties.”

A law is set to take effect on Sunday that would either force TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell the app or ban it from being available in the United States. The law also makes it illegal for U.S. companies to support the distribution, maintenance or updates of the app.

As President-elect Donald Trump approaches the inauguration, President Joe Biden's White House and Justice Department officials say they will leave enforcement of the law to the Trump administration, but TikTok says “critical service providers” need one “Final Statement” otherwise the app would be shut down. In fact, the app stopped working on Saturday night and disappeared from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

However, earlier on Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order delaying the ban and said he wanted to see TikTok restored soon because “Americans deserve to see our exciting inauguration.” ceremony”. on Monday. To that end, he said his order would “confirm that any company that helped prevent TikTok from shutting down prior to my order will not be held liable.” “

This seems to be enough to reassure TikTok and its service providers. By the time the company issued its statement, the TikTok app had already returned to service for several TechCrunch writers. However, as of 1:05 PM ET, it still doesn't appear to be on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Not all lawmakers agree. In response to TikTok’s announcement, Republican Senator Tom Cotton posted, “Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates Communist Party-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars in destruction responsibility.”

Trump's Sunday morning post also said his “preliminary thoughts” on a deal to keep TikTok operating in the United States would involve “a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners, with the United States taking 50 percent ownership.” “.

TikTok said in a statement that it would “work with President Trump to develop a long-term solution that will keep TikTok in the United States.”