TikTok, which went dark across the US, began restoring its services on Sunday following incoming President Donald Trump’s assurance to revive the platform’s access in the country after his inauguration on Monday.
Earlier on Saturday, TikTok was forced to suspend its operations in the United States, which fell in line with the ban order by the outgoing Biden administration.
The Chinese company thanked Trump for the “necessary clarity and assurance” of its resumption.
“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. 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 said in a statement.
It hailed the incoming President and said that TikTok is back in the US “as a result of President Trump’s efforts”.
The Chinese company’s praise for Trump followed Trump’s post on his social media platform Truth Social where he said that he will “issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect”.
However, Trump also proposed a 50% ownership deal to TikTok to stay alive in the US.
“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions,” Trump said.
