TikTok is dead, long live TikTok.
The social media app announced it would be returning to the United States mere hours after going dark to comply with a ban passed by legislators last year. The move came after President-elect Donald Trump promised to issue an executive order that would roll back the effective date of the ban, which required the app's Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell their U.S. offshoot or cease operations in the country.
"TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive," the company wrote on X. "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."
Trump made his promise to TikTok on his own social media platform, Truth Social. In his post, Trump envisioned a future where TikTok's stateside operations are at least partially owned by the U.S. itself.
"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," he wrote. "Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions."
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