TikTok back in America: Trump proposes 50% ownership

Hours after shutting down, TikTok is back up and running Sunday after President-elect Donald Trump said he would turn the social media app back on in the US on Monday. The Chinese social media app also thanked Trump for "providing the necessary clarity and assurance", hours after TikTok had to shut down in the US to comply with the Biden ban.

"In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service," the Bytedance-owned app said in the earlier statement & thanked the President-elect.

"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," TikTok said

In another message to users, TikTok said, "As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the US."

The praise for Trump came after he posted on Truth Social that he will issue an executive order as the 47th President of the US to delay the TikTok ban for 90 days.

He said he would “extend the time before the law takes effect so we can make a deal to protect our national security.”

"I would like the United States to have a 50 per cent ownership position in a joint venture," he wrote.

Trump said the executive order would say no company will be held liable for helping TikTok not go dark before his order.

Hours later, at a rally before his inauguration, Trump said, “Honestly, we have no choice. We have to save it”. He said the US will do a joint venture to bring back the short video app used by 170 million Americans.

TikTok went dark for American users late Saturday before the law took effect Sunday. US officials had said under Chinese parent company ByteDance, Americans’ data would be at risk.

He said he would delay the ban for 90 days. TikTok posted that. 

But the Republican leader’s stance on saving TikTok is a far cry from his first term. In 2020 he wanted to ban the app because he thought the company was sharing Americans’ personal info with the Chinese government. More recently he’s said he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” and credits the app with helping him win over young voters in the 2024 election.

In August 2020 he signed an executive order giving ByteDance 90 days to sell TikTok but then OK’d a deal structured as a partnership rather than a divestment that would have included Oracle and Walmart taking stakes in the new company.