Topline
TikTok welcomed users back to the platform on Sunday, about 14 hours after it abruptly shut itself down minutes before a nationwide ban took effect—a reversal prompted by President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to halt the ban when he takes office Monday by extending a deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the app.
A TikTok logo is displayed on an iPhone. Getty Images
Timeline
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When Did The Tiktok Ban Take Effect?
The ban against TikTok became effective Sunday, Jan. 19, but the platform appeared to take itself online minutes earlier.
When Will Tiktok Come Back?
Many U.S.-based users reported the mobile app or website was working again as of Sunday afternoon at about 1 p.m. EST. However, the app still is not available for download on the iPhone App Store. In a message posted on its website, Apple said TikTok will remain on users’ devices if they have already downloaded it, but the app won’t get any further updates, which may “impact performance, security and compatibility” with the iPhone and iPad operating systems.
Will Biden Stop The Tiktok Ban?
It doesn’t appear so. Multiple outlets reported Thursday the Biden administration did not plan on taking action against the ban, which Biden signed into law last year. A White House official told ABC News in a statement the law “will be up to the next administration to implement.” Still, ABC suggested Biden also won’t enforce the ban against app stores or internet providers, which are required to cut off access to TikTok. CNN reports the administration looked into delaying the ban but decided it doesn’t have legal authority. The law allows Biden to extend the deadline by 90 days, but only if there’s “evidence of significant progress” toward a sale.
Can Trump Stop Tiktok From Getting Banned?
Yes—at least temporarily. Trump, who is opposed to banning TikTok despite once pushing for a ban, takes office a day after the deadline, so he was not able to stop the law from taking effect altogether. However, he announced Sunday he will extend the ban when he returns to office “so we can make a deal to protect our national security” by transferring TikTok to a joint venture with 50% U.S. ownership—though the law only allows Trump to extend the ban by 90 days if ByteDance is working toward a sale. Trump also said there will be “no liability” for companies that allow TikTok to stay live before he signs the order. TikTok said in a statement Sunday it was able to start restoring service because Trump promised no penalties for its service providers. Former Justice Department official Alan Rozenshtein wrote in a Lawfare op-ed Trump could also lobby Congress to repeal the ban, though in doing so he would have to overcome the law’s bipartisan support. Here’s more on Trump’s options.
What Happens To Tiktok, Users And Creators If The App Is Banned?
TikTok is disappearing from U.S. app stores, and its U.S. app and desktop website no longer work as of late Saturday evening.
Can I Use A Vpn For Tiktok?
Most likely not. Virtual private network (or VPN) services let internet users route their traffic through another location, allowing them to seem as though they are located in a country other than the United States. However, many U.S. users reported Sunday the workaround didn’t work for them, possibly because their accounts were created in the United States. Read more here.
What Happens To My Tiktok Data?
TikTok says users can still log in to download their data. All of Americans’ TikTok user data could be moved to China in the event that the app is banned from the U.S. A precedent was set for such a move in 2020, when TikTok operations ended in India and left the app and ByteDance with access to millions of Indian users’ data years after the shutdown, according to Forbes.
Why Was Tiktok Banned?
Congress passed a law last year banning TikTok and similar digital platforms controlled by “foreign adversaries” unless their owners—in this case, China-based ByteDance—divest. At the heart of the federal government’s issue with TikTok is national security and data privacy concerns linked to ByteDance. U.S. officials have claimed the Chinese Communist Party could use the app to spy on Americans or influence public discourse—and Forbes’ prior reporting has revealed ByteDance has used TikTok to spy on journalists and TikTok mishandled sensitive data, including financial information, Social Security numbers and personal contacts of creators, advertisers, celebrities and politicians. TikTok has denied claims it is beholden to the Chinese government, insisting it has never handed over data to the Chinese government. The platform’s CEO told Congress he “disagrees with the characterization
Here’s Everything We Know As App Restores US Service
