TikTok Restores Service in the U.S. Following President Trump's Intervention

TikTok announced Sunday that it would resume service in the U.S. after temporarily blocking access the night before. The company credited assurances from President-elect Donald Trump for enabling its service providers to continue supporting the platform.

In a statement posted on X, TikTok explained, "We are working with our service providers to restore operations. We appreciate President Trump's efforts to provide the clarity and assurance needed for our service providers to maintain TikTok's availability for over 170 million Americans and support over 7 million small businesses."

TikTok emphasized its commitment to free expression and promised to collaborate with Trump on a sustainable solution that would secure the app’s presence in the U.S. "This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship," the statement added.

The service disruption came just hours after Trump, in a post on Truth Social, expressed his desire for TikTok to remain operational, particularly to broadcast his inauguration on Monday. He announced plans to issue an executive order extending the timeline for implementing the ban, allowing more time to negotiate a resolution that addresses national security concerns. The order would also shield companies involved in maintaining TikTok’s service during the interim from penalties.

By Sunday afternoon, TikTok’s platform began returning to functionality in stages, starting with web browser access. By evening, the app was accessible for many users, who were greeted with a message celebrating its return: "Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.! You can continue to create, share, and discover all the things you love on TikTok."

Despite the partial restoration, TikTok remained unavailable for download on Apple’s and Google’s app stores.

The law set to ban TikTok, originally scheduled to take effect Sunday, allows a 90-day delay at the president's discretion if certain conditions are met. The legislation, signed by President Joe Biden in April, requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest ownership to a non-Chinese buyer to avoid the ban.

Both Biden and the incoming Trump administration appeared to have softened their stances on TikTok in the lead-up to the ban. Trump, who had advocated for banning TikTok during his first term, reversed his position during his campaign and pledged to protect the platform’s availability.