TikTok has announced the resumption of its services in the US, after President-elect Donald Trump announced that access to the popular social network would be restored as soon as he returns to power. On Sunday, 19 January, the company confirmed that the service was again available to US users, Reuters reported.
“Thanks to the efforts of President Trump, TikTok is once again available in the United States,” the platform said in an official statement. Earlier, users reported that they were able to access the TikTok website again, and the app began to recover for some users with limited functionality.
The platform noted that it is working to fully restore the service in cooperation with service providers, and thanked Trump for providing the necessary clarity for providers to avoid penalties for continuing to provide TikTok to US users, including more than 170 million people and more than 7 million small businesses.
The decision came after TikTok was temporarily blocked for US users on Saturday, when a ban came into effect due to national security concerns. The US authorities have warned of the risks of misuse of American data by ByteDance’s Chinese parent company.
Trump said in his message that he was ready to extend the ban to make a deal that would protect US national security. He also expressed his desire for the US to have a 50% stake in TikTok.
Trump’s move is a return to a policy he expressed during his previous presidency in 2020, when he sought to ban TikTok over concerns about the transfer of Americans’ personal data to the Chinese government. For now, Trump said he has a “warm spot in his heart” for TikTok, as the app helped him attract a younger audience in the 2024 presidential election.
