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1 week ago

TikTok ban latest: Chinese app back after Trump promises to restore it but US redownloads not available

During his first administration, Trump pushed for a TikTok ban over national security concerns with China in 2020

Oliver O'Connell,Rhian Lubin
Monday 20 January 2025 01:07 EST
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TikTok goes dark in the U.S.

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The Chinese-owned social media app TikTok has hailed “President Trump’s efforts” as it confirmed it is back online in the U.S. following a brief shutdown.

TikTok went offline in the U.S. at about 10.30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday before the ban went into effect on January 19.

But on Sunday morning President-elect Donald Trump intervened and vowed to issue an executive order on Monday in a bid to get TikTok back online again.

When users logged in to the app on Sunday afternoon, they were greeted by the message: “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

However, the app remained unavailable for redownload for many users in app stores as of Sunday late afternoon.

The company behind the app released a statement crediting the president-elect for “providing clarity” to tech companies.

“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said.

During his first administration, Trump pushed for a ban on the app over national security concerns.

1 week ago

TikTok says it’s back online ‘as a result of President Trump’s efforts’

TikTok says it’s back online “as a result of President Trump’s efforts.”

Users are now greeted with the following message when they fire up the app.

“Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

The message that greets users on TikTok crediting Trump
The message that greets users on TikTok crediting Trump (TikTok)

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 20:03
1 week ago

Republicans Against Trump group lashes out at TikTok back and forth

The group Republicans Against Trump has lashed out at the back and forth within the party over the TikTok ban.

Trump supported a ban during his first administration and signed an executive order imposing sanctions on TikTok.

He has since backed the app and suggested it helped him win the 2024 election.

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 19:45
1 week ago

Some users reporting TikTok is working again - but it’s glitching for others

Some users reported soon after TikTok’s statement that the app was working again, and TikTok’s website appeared to be functioning for at least some users.

Even as TikTok was flickering back on, it remained unavailable for download in Apple and Google’s app stores.

The app is working again for some users
The app is working again for some users (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
AP19 January 2025 19:30
1 week ago

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

It’s worth recapping on why TikTok was singled out and became so politically controversial.

After amassing more than 170 million users in the country in less than seven years, TikTok is now facing an outright ban in the US.

Anthony Cuthbertson writes that various federal and state TikTok bans are already in place in the US, with lawmakers citing national security concerns.

These fears have done little to stem TikTok’s growth in the US.

The app has proved to be one of the most popular both in America and globally last year with 52 million downloads in the US and 733 million worldwide – despite more than 3 billion people around the world being blocked from downloading it.

How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app

More than 3 billion people are already blocked from using the app, writes Anthony Cuthbertson

Anthony Cuthbertson 19 January 2025 19:00
1 week ago

Despite Trump pledge, senator fires warning shot to tech companies

Not all Republicans agree with Trump’s efforts to “save” TikTok.

Republican senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts said in a joint statement earlier on Sunday: “Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date.

“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.”

Despite Trump’s intervention, Cotton has also fired a warning shot to tech companies that the TikTok ban is still in effect.

As of tomorrow, Trump has the power to delay the ban for 90 days.

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 18:45
1 week ago

Was the whole TikTok drama a bait-and-switch to make Trump look good?

Political commentators have suggested that the drama surrounding TikTok is a “scam” to make President-elect Donald Trump “look good” after he has vowed to save it.

Skeptics have highlighted how Trump was the one who initially called for the controversial Chinese-owned social media app to be banned in 2020. But since Trump’s following on TikTok grew — he has now amassed 14.8 million followers — and he hinted it helped to clinch the election, the president-elect has changed his tune.

“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points,” Trump said in December. “And there are those that say TikTok had something to do with that.”

Read more below.

Was the whole TikTok drama a bait-and-switch to make Trump look good?

Skeptics have highlighted how Trump was the one who initially called for the Chinese-owned social media app to be banned in 2020

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 18:30
1 week ago

Users report TikTok is back

Users have reported that TikTok is up and running again following the outage as the ban’s deadline came into effect.

In a statement released on Sunday, TikTok said it had reached an agreement with its service providers after Trump said he would issue an executive order on Monday giving ByteDance, its parent company, an extension to find a buyer.

Read the full story below.

TikTok ‘in process of restoring service’ and thanks Trump for intervening after ban

TikTok said it had reached an agreement with its service providers after Trump said he would issue an executive order on Monday

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 18:19
1 week ago

Dem senator - 'Does everyone not see what’s happening here and how terrifying this is?’

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 18:00
1 week ago

NEW: TikTok ‘in process of restoring service’ and thanks Trump

TikTok has just released a new statement saying it is in the process of restoring its service.

Here is their full statement:

In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.

We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.

It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.

We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 17:37
1 week ago

Speaker Mike Johnson - ‘We don’t have any confidence in ByteDance’

Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t sound optimistic about the TikTok extension, NBC’s Sahil Kapur reported.

“We don’t have any confidence in ByteDance,” Johnson told Meet the Press. “They have 270 days to be exact. The law is very precise, and the only way to extend that is if there is an actual deal in the works.”

He added: “It’s the Chinese Communist Party & their manipulation of the algorithms. They have been flooding the minds of American children with terrible messages glorifying violence and antisemitism and even suicide and eating disorders, I mean crazy kind of stuff.”

Rhian Lubin19 January 2025 17:30

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