Fourteen hours after voluntarily receiving the darkness for millions of American users, Tiktok returned to the United States after the promise of president -elect Donald Trump to the imminent prohibition of the social networks platform.
But even if Tiktok works in the United States, the popular application to share videos should not be had in the Apple or Google Play application. Those who fall to download the application in the App Store get a message that says: “Tiktok and other robe programs should not be had in the country or in the region in which it is found. ” Those who use Android systems have been received through a message on Google Play saying: “Downloads for this application are interrupted due to existing US legal requirements. “
It is estimated that Tiktok de Bytedance would have 170 million users in the United States according to estimates through PEW Research Center, a 3rd of American adults use the application. This number is going 59% among the ones under 30. Tiktok is namely popular among adolescents, with 63% of Americans elderly thirteen to 17 saying that they use the application, adding 57% who use it each and each day.
While the federal government has expressed fears regarding the application and its prospective risk to national security, in the summer of 2024, 32% of adults told Pew Research Center that they had supported banning the application, up from 50% in March 2023.
While Trump led initial efforts to ban TikTok during his first presidency, he’s now become the app’s unlikely savior. The president-elect’s repositioning towards TikTok is part of a broader shift in the debate around technology, social media and national security which has seen many tech leaders—including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Shou Zi Chew—trying to get closer to Trump.
On Saturday night, the day a federal law requiring a sale or ban of Tiktok has gone into effect, Tiktok has gone dark for millions of users across the country. Those checking to access the app have noticed a message saying, “Sorry, Tiktok is not to be had right now.
“Unfortunately, a law banning Tiktok has been enacted in the United States, this means that you use Tiktok for the time being. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will paint us with us in a solution to fix Tiktok once he has taken office.
TikTok didn’t need to go dark on its users, but said that the Biden administration had not provided “necessary clarity and assurance” to the app’s service providers over what would come next.
On Sunday morning, Trump wrote in Truth Social that “he would publish a decree on Monday”, after its inauguration “, to increase the time before the prohibition of the law, so that we can conclude an agreement for our national security. “
Shortly after, TikTok started restoring service for users in the U.S. “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!,” read a message on the popular video app welcoming back American users.
It’s unclear when TikTok will become available again on Apple’s App Store and on Google Play.
“Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates,” Apple explained on his website. “Pursuant to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries—including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others—will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025.”
Newsweek contacted Apple, Google, and TikTok for comment by email on Monday morning, outside of standard working hours.
If you’ve removed TikTok from your phone or laptop, you won’t be able to download it again. If you’ve just gotten a new device, you won’t be able to restore TikTok there either.
If you still have TikTok installed, the app won’t be removed.
Despite Trump’s reassurance, the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. Alan Rozenshtein, associate professor at University of Minnesota Law School, wrote on X that “there’s no assurance that Trump, who’s not even the president yet, can provide.”
Rozenshtein said it’s reckless for service providers to reinstate TikTok: “I look forward to the shareholder suits—Oracle is rapidly accruing tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars of liability.”
Trump said on Sunday that “there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
The federal government is concerned that TikTok might threaten the U.S. national security because the Chinese government could use the app to spy on American citizens and/or influence the U.S. public.
The law that came into effect on January 19, originally passed in April 2024, required TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the U.S. version of the platform to a neutral party by Sunday, or face an outright ban in the country.
A statement from TikTok on Sunday read: “In agreement with our service providers, 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.
“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.”
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Republican, wrote on X: “Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from DOJ, but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state AGs. Think about it.”
While lawmakers and experts are being cautious about the future of TikTok, saying that the law that would ban it is still valid, users have exploded in celebrations on Sunday. “TikTok is back!” is the message shared by several users dancing and jumping in happiness over the app’s reappearance.
“TikTok has resurrected,” one X user’s message read. The revival, however, could just be temporary.
Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs and housing. She has covered the ups and downs of the U.S. housing market extensively, as well as given in-depth insights into the unfolding war in Ukraine. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate of Nottingham Trent University. Languages: English, Italian, French. Email: [email protected].