Mon Jan 20 07:07:48 UTC 2025: ## Trump’s Last-Minute Intervention Saves TikTok from US Ban
**Washington D.C.** – In a dramatic eleventh-hour reversal, TikTok avoided a nationwide shutdown after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to reinstate the app’s services upon assuming office. The social media platform, facing a ban over national security concerns, went dark briefly on Saturday before service was restored Sunday.
Trump announced his intention to issue an executive order delaying the ban for 90 days, allowing time to negotiate a deal that would include a 50% US ownership stake in a joint venture. He also assured companies assisting TikTok that they would face no liability for their involvement. This move directly followed a statement from TikTok thanking Trump for providing “necessary clarity and assurance” to service providers, enabling the app’s immediate restoration.
The app’s statement lauded Trump’s action as a “strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship,” expressing their intention to collaborate on a long-term solution to keep TikTok operational in the US. This marks a significant shift from Trump’s previous attempts to ban the app in 2020 over data security concerns. However, he recently claimed a fondness for TikTok, crediting it with boosting his appeal to younger voters in the 2024 election. The previous administration’s ban cited risks associated with ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, potentially misusing American user data. The 170 million American users and 7 million small businesses that rely on the platform will breathe a sigh of relief following this unexpected development. The details of the proposed joint venture and the long-term implications of Trump’s intervention remain to be seen.
First Piper 