TikTok announced that it would be restoring service in the United States after President-elect Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to revive it.
On Sunday, Trump said he would sign an executive order on day one of his administration to extend the deadline to ban TikTok while proposing a plan to establish a joint venture with the U.S. having 50% ownership. He added that his executive order would “confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
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In response, TikTok announced that it was in the process of restoring service.
“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,” a statement from the company read.
“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,” it added.
TikTok ceased operations on Saturday night ahead of the ban, along with other apps owned by ByteDance, such as the video editing software CapCut. Users of TikTok were greeted with a message of optimism, thanking Trump for his efforts.
“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” the message read. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
TikTok isn’t entirely in the clear, however. Though Trump has proposed a new 50% ownership plan, TikTok hasn’t revealed whether or not it would accept such a deal. The law that banned TikTok holds that Trump can only delay the ban if “significant progress” has been made in finding another buyer.
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Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), a leading proponent of banning the app, issued a stark warning for any company that restores service to TikTok, breaking with the de-facto leader of his party.
“Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs. Think about it,” he said in a post on X, quoting TikTok’s statement.