Washington: TikTok, the popular Chinese social media app, has expressed gratitude to President-elect Donald Trump for providing what it described as "the necessary clarity and assurance" after confirming it is in the process of restoring its service in the United States.
The move comes after Trump pledged to reinstate access to TikTok, which had been blocked in the U.S. on Saturday night under a ban order from the Biden administration. TikTok announced on social media platform X that it was working with its service providers to restore service, adding that over 170 million Americans and seven million small businesses rely on the platform. The company highlighted its view that the development represented a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. TikTok also indicated its commitment to collaborating with Trump on a long-term solution to keep the platform operational in the U.S.
On Truth Social, Trump said he would issue an executive order on Monday to delay the enforcement of the TikTok ban for 90 days. He explained that this extension would provide time to negotiate a deal addressing national security concerns and asked companies to ensure that TikTok remains operational during this period. Trump emphasized that Americans deserved continued access to TikTok, especially for coverage of events such as the inauguration.
Trump proposed a solution involving a 50 percent U.S. ownership stake in a joint venture with TikTok, which he argued would safeguard the platform, keep it under responsible management, and significantly increase its value. He further asserted that TikTok’s continued operation would hinge on U.S. approval.
The developments follow TikTok going offline in the U.S. on Saturday night, just hours before the ban was set to take effect. Users attempting to access the platform were met with a message indicating that the service was unavailable due to the enactment of the law.
The ban stems from a Supreme Court ruling on Friday, which upheld legislation passed with bipartisan support in Congress and signed by U.S. President Joe Biden in April.
With IANS inputs