TikTok restores service in the U.S. after outage
TikTok is back for many U.S. users just hours after it was temporarily shut down. The platform credited its return to actions taken by President-elect Donald Trump to save the app.
According to reports, TikTok greeted users with a message saying: “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
The shutdown, which began Sunday, had temporarily taken TikTok offline, cutting off access for over 170 million American users. The app was also removed from Apple and Google’s app stores in compliance with federal regulations.
However, Trump announced he would issue an executive order following his inauguration on Monday to delay enforcement of a law that could lead to a TikTok ban or forced sale. Within hours, TikTok access began to be restored for U.S. users.
In a statement on X, TikTok thanked Trump for offering “the necessary clarity and assurance” that would allow service providers to continue supporting the app without fear of penalties.
The company stated: “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 supporting over 7 million small businesses.”
TikTok also expressed its commitment to working with Trump on a long-term solution that would keep the platform operating in the U.S., emphasizing a strong stance for free speech and against “arbitrary censorship.”
Although some users were able to access TikTok again shortly after the announcement, the app remains unavailable for download on Apple and Google’s stores.
The law banning TikTok, which was set to go into effect Sunday, allows for a 90-day extension before enforcement if specific criteria are met. Under a law signed by President Biden in April, TikTok could face a ban unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells the platform to a non-Chinese buyer.
Before the ban was scheduled to take effect, both Biden and the incoming Trump administration had shifted their positions on TikTok. During his campaign, Trump had advocated for a ban in his first term but later expressed support for the app, promising to save it.
After the Supreme Court approved the law on Friday, the Biden administration stated it would not enforce the ban, leaving that responsibility to Trump. On Saturday evening, TikTok was removed from app stores, and its service for U.S. users was suspended.
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