The saga of TikTok’s status in the U.S. took another dramatic turn this weekend, as the app experienced a temporary shutdown following the enforcement of a ban under U.S. law. However, TikTok began coming back online hours later after President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to issue an executive order providing a 90-day reprieve.
On Saturday night, TikTok users were met with a pop-up message stating, “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” This unprecedented service disruption marked the first time a popular social media platform faced such a ban in the U.S.
TikTok’s downtime was brief. By Sunday morning, the app and its web version were accessible again, albeit with warnings about the ongoing situation. President-elect Trump, posting on Truth Social, pledged to issue an executive order on Monday to reinstate the app temporarily, citing the need for Americans to engage with inauguration-related events.
However, Trump’s promise sparked immediate debate about his legal authority to pause the ban.
Republican Pushback
Senators Tom Cotton and Peter Ricketts opposed Trump’s proposed reprieve, arguing that the law requires TikTok to divest its U.S. operations entirely, severing ties with ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company. They emphasized that any solution must address concerns about privacy and national security, which they attribute to TikTok’s ties to China.
Talks of Sale Continue
Reports have emerged about potential buyers for TikTok’s U.S. operations, including a proposal from Perplexity AI to merge with TikTok’s American business. However, ByteDance has consistently resisted selling the platform, leaving the future of TikTok uncertain.
As TikTok CEO Shou Chew prepares to attend the inauguration, discussions around divestiture and executive orders remain in flux. While TikTok’s reprieve provides temporary relief, its long-term future in the U.S. hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, competitors like Instagram are taking advantage of the disruption with new features for their short-form videos.
