At midnight on Sunday, TikTok users in the United States were silenced by a unanimous Supreme Court ruling. defended the new lawThat would require the social media app’s Chinese owners to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban.
But just hours after the shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he planned to issue an executive order granting TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance a 90-day extension to allow the popular video-sharing platform to find an approved buyer before it goes dark. Permanently.
Ahead of Monday’s inauguration, President Trump said on his social media site Truth Social that he would “extend the period until the law’s ban takes effect” and “I will confirm that there is no liability” regarding his decision. revealed. For all the companies that helped prevent TikTok from going dark before I ordered it.”
TikTok immediately announced that it was in the process of restoring its platform. “We are grateful to President Trump for providing much-needed clarity and assurance that service providers will not be punished for bringing TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and allowing more than 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the company said. From the statement.
By mid-morning Sunday, the app was back online.
The enacted ban makes it illegal for app stores such as Apple and Google Play to distribute TikTok or issue updates to the social media app. Companies that fail to comply will face civil penalties of $5,000 per user.
Faced with the shutdown, millions of app users expressed disbelief, sadness, anger and defiance, with many posting farewell messages and others posting mock funerals. Critics claimed this was a blow to freedom of expression.
“I’m angry,” he said. Joey Soboleski Jr.She is a 26-year-old model, actress, and photographer. “I have a conspiracy theory about why it’s being torn down. “Silencing or suppressing the diversity of ideas and perspectives on life that people can share without censorship is the real problem.”
British media outlet Daily Mail quickly announced that it would be launching a new hub for short-form video content on its homepage in an effort to fill the TikTok void.
TikTok’s viability has been uncertain since President Trump decided to shut it down in 2020, citing national security concerns. Trump and others have raised the prospect that TikTok owner ByteDance could support the Chinese government by sharing data collected from its more than 100 million U.S. users, inserting malicious software into the app or helping spread disinformation.
Kate Ruane of the Center for Democracy & Technology said in a statement that the high court’s decision was “unprecedented” and that the ban “impacts free expression for hundreds of millions of TikTok users in this country and around the world.” “It causes harm,” he said. Individuals use apps to create information, share information, get news, comment on current issues, and promote businesses. “This is the kind of speech the First Amendment is intended to protect.”
Numerous businesses have claimed that TikTok is a valuable alternative to Instagram and YouTube Shorts that can help grow brands and drive commerce.
“For brands, businesses, artists and creators, TikTok is more than just a platform. It is a launching pad for your career, a hub for the development of cultural trends and an essential channel for connecting with consumers. TikTok has become integral to the careers of music artists. Think Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan,” Vishal Ramakrishnan, chief business officer at Round Group, a global marketing technology company, said in a statement.
Before leaving office, President Biden emphasized that “there are no plans to implement a ban until a new administration is inaugurated.”
Staff writer Andrea Chang contributed to this report.
