After nearly a day offline in the U.S., TikTok is reportedly coming back online for some users, following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to delay the widely popular video-sharing app’s ban.
The famous “dancing” and social media app TikTok was set to be banned today after a legal order against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, was issued by the Biden administration, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission.
In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) into law. This provided the government with the necessary authority to prohibit or ban any foreign-owned app deemed a threat to national security. TikTok and ByteDance face accusations of conspiracy to politically manipulate users and act as a “foreign adversary,” engaging in long-term threats to U.S. national security.
On Jan. 10, 2025, the Supreme Court held a hearing for arguments made on the platform’s behalf. Lawyer Noel Francisco argued that banning the social media app violates First Amendment rights and that the government cares more about censoring media than protecting people.
“The act cannot satisfy any standard of scrutiny. The government has no foreign interest in preventing foreign propaganda, and its fallback argument—that it seeks merely to prevent covertness—makes no sense since that could be addressed by a speech disclosure. The government’s real target is speech itself; it fears that Americans, even when fully informed, could be persuaded by Chinese misinformation. That, however, is a decision that the First Amendment leaves to the people,” Francisco said.
Both the majority of Democratic and Republican members of Congress have backed the bill to ban the TikTok app due to its alleged affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party.
Last year, when Senator Tom Cotton asked Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, multiple times about the app’s affiliation with the Chinese Communist Party, he repeatedly denied any accusations. Regardless of his answers, speculation from Congress remained that the app and its CEO were tied to the Chinese government, fueling concerns about the data of U.S. users.
“So, I think that a TikTok ban, while it could be good if it’s removing misinformation, is also taking livelihoods away from people. For some of those content creators, that’s what they do for a living,” history teacher Maggie Haas said.
Although the Supreme Court hearing was set to take place Jan. 19, many TikTok users across the country reported the app stopped working on the evening of Jan. 18. Stories were posted on other platforms like Snapchat and Instagram expressing users’ devastation. Minutes after the app shut down, famous influencers like James Charles and Tabitha Brown took to Instagram Reels to share their experiences.
The app’s shutdown lasted approximately 12 hours, from 9 p.m. on Jan. 18 to 9 a.m. on Jan. 19. By the morning after the shutdown, many users reported the app was suddenly back online. Relieved users across platforms celebrated its return, after seeing messages like “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now” the night before.
President Trump’s post on his TruthSocial app explained his proposal for the TikTok app.
President-elect Donald Trump confirmed that once he’s sworn in on Monday, he will delay the ban. On TruthSocial, Trump stated that he will give TikTok more time to negotiate a deal to protect national security, but added that he wants “50% ownership in a joint venture.”
“Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars—maybe trillions,” Trump said.
Some users on the app are celebrating and relieved that it’s safe for now. Others, however, are skeptical. “I am almost positive TikTok just sold out to Meta. Why is Shou reposting MAGA clips?” said user jade.calico.
Some users celebrated TikTok’s return, relieved that the app is operational for now. Others remain skeptical of the developments. “I am almost positive TikTok just sold out to Meta. Why is Shou reposting MAGA clips?” user jade.calico said.
While there is speculation about political motives surrounding TikTok’s reinstatement, no evidence has been presented to support claims that it was a propaganda tactic. The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain as negotiations between ByteDance and the U.S. government continue.
