Sun Jan 19 16:08:04 UTC 2025: **President-elect Trump Vows to Reinstate TikTok After App Shuts Down**
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump announced Sunday he will issue an executive order to restore TikTok after the app voluntarily shut down in the U.S. The shutdown followed a Supreme Court ruling upholding a law banning TikTok unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divested from the platform. The deadline for divestment was Sunday, January 19th.
ByteDance, unable to complete a sale due to Chinese government opposition, challenged the law but lost its Supreme Court appeal. The court agreed with the government’s concerns about potential data collection by China.
Trump’s promised executive order aims to extend the deadline and offer liability protection to companies assisting in TikTok’s reinstatement. He also expressed interest in a joint venture giving the U.S. a 50% stake in TikTok.
While the Biden administration stated enforcement would be delegated to the incoming Trump administration, TikTok proactively removed itself from U.S. app stores and ceased operation within the country shortly before the deadline.
Trump’s incoming national security advisor, Mike Waltz, confirmed discussions between President-elect Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding a solution. Waltz emphasized the need for an app that protects U.S. data while acknowledging TikTok’s popularity.
Despite the President-elect’s intervention, the law remains in effect, and companies like Apple and Google could face future penalties for non-compliance. The long-term future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, pending further action by the Trump administration or legislative changes.
First Piper 