TikTok began restoring service to users in the United States following a temporary and voluntary shutdown that lasted less than a day. The company said Sunday that it was reinstating access after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to issue an executive order to restore the app.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said in a statement. “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.”
TikTok app owner ByteDance voluntarily shut down service in the U.S. just hours before a Sunday deadline, cutting off access to tens of millions of users after the Supreme Court upheld a law that effectively banned it over concerns about its ties to China.
The law passed by Congress last year gave TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, until Jan. 19 to divest from TikTok or be cut off from U.S. app stores and hosting services. TikTok said a sale wasn’t possible and challenged the law in court, but a unanimous Supreme Court rejected it on Friday.
Trump on Sunday posted on social media that he would restore TikTok, first writing “SAVE TIKTOK” and then vowing to issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period before the law takes effect. Further, he said there would be no liability for companies that helped keep TikTok from going dark before the order went into effect.
A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the message reads. “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!”
The app was also no longer available in the Apple or Google Play stores. CBS News has reached out to TikTok for comment.
Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday that the president-elect had spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and “they agreed to work together on this.”
“We can have an app that protects Americans,” Waltz said. “And I could tell you, I wouldn’t want the FBI or the U.S. government monitoring every keystroke or seeing every password, nor would we want the Chinese Communist Party. But we also want an app that 170 million Americans enjoy and that we were able to get our message out during the Trump campaign in a very powerful way.”
TikTok had said Friday it would “be forced to go dark” beginning Sunday unless the Biden administration assured service providers that the law would not be enforced. The White House called the appeal “a stunt” and said the company should bring up its concerns with the Trump administration.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Internationally on Sunday, the TikTok app remained accessible, and there was no indication for international users that it had gone dark in the U.S. It was still possible to view and interact with American accounts, and there was no obvious official signposting that U.S. users’ access had been restricted.
Even if President-elect Trump declines to enforce the ban, the law would still be on the books, and companies like Apple and Google could be penalised down the road for violations. Trump previously vowed to “save” TikTok and said Saturday that he was considering an option to extend the deadline for the law to go into effect.
“The government had good reason to single out TikTok,” the court said.
Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar noted during arguments that there’s “nothing permanent or irrevocable that happens” on Sunday. The law provides the authority for the restrictions to be lifted on TikTok if there is a sale after the date.
“Congress expected we might see something like a game of chicken. ByteDance saying we can’t do it, China will never let us do it. But when push comes to shove and these restrictions take effect, I think it will fundamentally change the landscape concerning what ByteDance is willing to consider,” Prelogar said.
In a video statement after the Supreme Court issued its decision, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared confident that the app would have a future under Trump. He thanked the incoming president for his commitment to finding a solution that would allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. “for years to come.”
Trump, who tried to ban TikTok during his first term over national security concerns, said Friday that he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping about TikTok. A Chinese summary of the call did not mention that it was a topic of discussion.
Barring a sale or Congress overturning the law, there’s no long-term certainty about TikTok’s future in the U.S. If Trump or a future president declines to enforce the law, companies like Apple and Google could still face steep fines in the future.
“On the 19th, if it doesn’t shut down, there is a violation of law, correct?” Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked Prelogar, who said, “Yes.”
“And whatever the new president does, doesn’t change that reality for these companies,” Sotomayor continued, referring to the penalties facing app stores and web hosting services.
“That’s right,” Prelogar said, adding that a five-year statute of limitations exists.
