The Chinese-owned social media app TikTok has hailed “President Trump’s efforts” as it confirmed it is back online in the U.S. following a brief shutdown.
TikTok went offline in the U.S. at about 10.30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday before the ban went into effect on January 19.
But on Sunday morning President-elect Donald Trump intervened and vowed to issue an executive order on Monday in a bid to get TikTok back online again.
When users logged in to the app on Sunday afternoon, they were greeted by the message: “Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
However, the app remained unavailable for redownload for many users in app stores as of Sunday late afternoon.
The company behind the app released a statement crediting the president-elect for “providing clarity” to tech companies.
“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,” TikTok said.
During his first administration, Trump pushed for a ban on the app over national security concerns.
Key Points
- ‘Whether you like TikTok or not, we’re going to make a lot of money’ - Trump
- Social media platform still unavailable for redownload in app stores for many users
- TikTok says it’s back online ‘as a result of President Trump’
- Trump vows to issue executive order on Monday postponing TikTok ban
- TikTok goes offline in the U.S.
White House: TikTok’s statement about being forced to go dark ‘a stunt'
23:00
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Rhian Lubin
On Saturday Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the TikTok statement about being forced to go dark Sunday a “stunt.”
We have seen the most recent statement from TikTok.
It is a stunt, and we see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take actions in the next few days before the Trump Administration takes office on Monday.
We have laid out our position clearly and straightforwardly: actions to implement this law will fall to the next administration.
So TikTok and other companies should take up any concerns with them.
Trump: 'Whether you like TikTok or not, we’re going to make a lot of money’
22:41
,
Rhian Lubin
Donald Trump told a crowd tonight: “Whether you like TikTok or not, we’re going to make a lot of money.”
The incoming president is speaking at his pre-inaugural rally in Washington D.C and basking in the glory of his election victory and in “saving” the social media giant’s future in the U.S.
“Can you believe what I'll do to win an election?” Trump said.
“And we went on Tiktok. And Republicans have never won the young vote. The youth vote, they win a lot of votes, but they never won the youth vote. We won the youth vote by 36 points.
“So I like Tiktok.”
Katie Hawkinson has the full story.
TikTok unavailable for re-download in app stores
22:14
,
Rhian Lubin
TikTok is still unavailable for re-download in app stores for many users who deleted it from their phones after the ban came into effect.
On Google’s Playstore a message says: “Downloads for this app are paused due to current US legal requirements.”
On Apple’s App Store a message says: “TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you’re in.”
An earlier message from TikTok said that the app was back on in the U.S.
Trump's national security adviser pledges to preserve TikTok for American users
22:00
,
John Bowden
Trump’s incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz defended the president-elect on Sunday.
He said that Trump was working in “real time” with tech companies to reach an agreement for new US ownership of TikTok — something a number of his allies, including Canada’s Kevin O’Leary, have also been at work seeking to make a reality.
Waltz also indicated that it was possible for TikTok to remain under Chinese ownership, albeit with “firewalls” (such as Americans’ data being stored in US-based servers) to guard against perceived national security threats.
Watch below.
Commentators claim TikTok shutdown was a ‘stunt’
21:45
,
Rhian Lubin
They shut down their own app for a day, then turned it back on thanking Trump. What an obvious scam this was. Disgusting on the part of the Tik Tok owners, Trump, and all his sycophants who reversed their positions on it one second after he did for no reason other than he did. pic.twitter.com/ygeoYWp2DU
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 19, 2025
TikTok is back online and thanking Trump for “saving it” because the ban was never real and this has always been a political stunt. pic.twitter.com/2IdCfBWXE2
— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) January 19, 2025
For real oligarchy (the richest handful of citizens running the country for their personal enrichment) to survive, the billionaire ruling class needs state controlled media.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 19, 2025
Here's the first no apologies play - Trump wants to use government $$ to give him control of TikTok. pic.twitter.com/ypv8tsjth4
ICYMI: Saturday Night Live mocks TikTok ban
21:30
,
Rhian Lubin
Watch: All the times Trump bragged about banning TikTok
21:10
,
Rhian Lubin
A montage of Trump repeatedly bragging about banning TikTok is now surfacing online.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) January 19, 2025
Can’t make this up. pic.twitter.com/ilIpiXIPkm
Man accused of setting fire to congressman’s office ‘motivated by TikTok ban’ - report
20:46
,
Rhian Lubin
A man accused of setting fire to a strip mall in Wisconsin where a congressman’s office is located told authorities he was motivated by the federal ban on the popular TikTok video-sharing platform.
Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman had voted last April for a bill that mandated TikTok’s China-based parent company sell its U.S. operation by Sunday.
The fire in Fond du Lac was reported around 1 a.m. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported, police said.
The fire began outside the building and caused minor damage before it was quickly extinguished by firefighters and police.
The 19-year-old Menasha man, whose name has not been released, was in custody and will be charged with arson, police said.
They said he was arrested after he was seen near the mall watching the fire.
Grothman said he was aware of the fire but had no immediate comment about it.
‘This is so dystopian’: TikTok influencers were in panic when app went dark in the US
20:30
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Rhian Lubin
For weeks, influencers who depended on the app for their income tried to remain hopeful that a U.S. company would purchase it before the ban went into effect.
Now it appears to be back for some users.
But leading up to the ban, many influencers spoke to their fans for what they believed to be one last time either to thank their viewers or explain what they were going to do next, such as turning to the Chinese app, Rednote.
However, other influencers lamented the possible loss of TikTok.
Brittany Miller reports.
TikTok says it’s back online ‘as a result of President Trump’s efforts’
20:03
,
Rhian Lubin
TikTok says it’s back online “as a result of President Trump’s efforts.”
Users are now greeted with the following message when they fire up the app.
“Welcome back! Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
Republicans Against Trump group lashes out at TikTok back and forth
19:45
,
Rhian Lubin
The group Republicans Against Trump has lashed out at the back and forth within the party over the TikTok ban.
Trump supported a ban during his first administration and signed an executive order imposing sanctions on TikTok.
He has since backed the app and suggested it helped him win the 2024 election.
Trump operative Charlie Kirk in 2020: TikTok is an ‘evil CCP-compromised’ app. Ban it!!
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 19, 2025
Charlie Kirk today: Shame on President Biden for signing the Republican-led bill to ban TikTok into law. I’m glad Trump is going to save this great app
MAGA blindly supports whatever the… pic.twitter.com/mLNQ3raQRW
Some users reporting TikTok is working again - but it’s glitching for others
19:30
,
AP
Some users reported soon after TikTok’s statement that the app was working again, and TikTok’s website appeared to be functioning for at least some users.
Even as TikTok was flickering back on, it remained unavailable for download in Apple and Google’s app stores.
How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
19:00
,
Anthony Cuthbertson
It’s worth recapping on why TikTok was singled out and became so politically controversial.
After amassing more than 170 million users in the country in less than seven years, TikTok is now facing an outright ban in the US.
Anthony Cuthbertson writes that various federal and state TikTok bans are already in place in the US, with lawmakers citing national security concerns.
These fears have done little to stem TikTok’s growth in the US.
The app has proved to be one of the most popular both in America and globally last year with 52 million downloads in the US and 733 million worldwide – despite more than 3 billion people around the world being blocked from downloading it.
Despite Trump pledge, senator fires warning shot to tech companies
18:45
,
Rhian Lubin
Not all Republicans agree with Trump’s efforts to “save” TikTok.
Republican senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts said in a joint statement earlier on Sunday: “Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date.
“For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law’s qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China.”
Despite Trump’s intervention, Cotton has also fired a warning shot to tech companies that the TikTok ban is still in effect.
As of tomorrow, Trump has the power to delay the ban for 90 days.
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… https://t.co/XamZ1qAk2K
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 19, 2025
Was the whole TikTok drama a bait-and-switch to make Trump look good?
18:30
,
Rhian Lubin
Political commentators have suggested that the drama surrounding TikTok is a “scam” to make President-elect Donald Trump “look good” after he has vowed to save it.
Skeptics have highlighted how Trump was the one who initially called for the controversial Chinese-owned social media app to be banned in 2020. But since Trump’s following on TikTok grew — he has now amassed 14.8 million followers — and he hinted it helped to clinch the election, the president-elect has changed his tune.
“I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points,” Trump said in December. “And there are those that say TikTok had something to do with that.”
Read more below.
Users report TikTok is back
18:19
,
Rhian Lubin
Users have reported that TikTok is up and running again following the outage as the ban’s deadline came into effect.
In a statement released on Sunday, TikTok said it had reached an agreement with its service providers after Trump said he would issue an executive order on Monday giving ByteDance, its parent company, an extension to find a buyer.
Read the full story below.
Dem senator - 'Does everyone not see what’s happening here and how terrifying this is?’
18:00
,
Rhian Lubin
TikTok tucking itself in with Trump. Twitter under control of the White House. Facebook making major changes to placate MAGA, doing PR campaign to align w Trump.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 19, 2025
Does everyone not see what’s happening here and how terrifying this is. pic.twitter.com/PpnfqfI6Ij
NEW: TikTok ‘in process of restoring service’ and thanks Trump
17:37
,
Rhian Lubin
TikTok has just released a new statement saying it is in the process of restoring its service.
Here is their full statement:
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.
Speaker Mike Johnson - ‘We don’t have any confidence in ByteDance’
17:30
,
Rhian Lubin
Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t sound optimistic about the TikTok extension, NBC’s Sahil Kapur reported.
“We don’t have any confidence in ByteDance,” Johnson told Meet the Press. “They have 270 days to be exact. The law is very precise, and the only way to extend that is if there is an actual deal in the works.”
He added: “It’s the Chinese Communist Party & their manipulation of the algorithms. They have been flooding the minds of American children with terrible messages glorifying violence and antisemitism and even suicide and eating disorders, I mean crazy kind of stuff.”
Speaker Johnson doesn’t sound optimistic about extending TikTok’s time, telling @MeetThePress today: “We don't have any confidence in ByteDance. They have 270 days to be exact. The law is very precise, and the only way to extend that is if there is an actual deal in the works.” pic.twitter.com/zL7wKZEY6t
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 19, 2025
Web searches for ‘VPN’ spikes after TikTok goes offline
17:00
,
Rhian Lubin
Web searches for “VPN” spiked in the minutes after U.S. users lost access to TikTok, according to Google Trends.
VPNs allow users to spoof the location of their device in order to make it appear to websites that it is in a different country or location.
This works by re-routing the traffic through various different internet servers in order to scramble and disguise the real IP address of the smartphone, tablet or computer.
By offering a private connection, VPNs have become a popular tool for journalists, whistleblowers and any other people or organizations wishing to hide their web activity from internet companies, security agencies and hackers.
Jabed Ahmed reports.
Trump said the U.S. ‘must take aggressive action against TikTok’ in 2020
16:30
,
Rhian Lubin
On August 6, 2020, Trump issued an executive order to impose sanctions on TikTok.
“The United States must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security,” Trump said in the order.
It called for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. interests or face sanctions.
The order warned that TikTok’s data collection “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail and conduct corporate espionage.”
Trump’s effort to ban the app was then blocked by a federal judge. The judge ruled he had exceeded his authority and President Biden revoked the ban in 2021, before Congress considered bringing in new legislation.
How did we get here?
16:10
,
Rhian Lubin
Efforts to ban TikTok resurfaced in Congress early last year, and quickly gained bipartisan support among lawmakers who voiced about the potential for the platform to surveil and manipulate Americans.
The legislation the Supreme Court upheld passed the House and the Senate in April after it was included as part of a high-priority $95 billion package that provided foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. President Joe Biden quickly signed it, and the two companies and a group of content creators quickly sued.
A lower court upheld the statute in early December. The legislation gave ByteDance nine months from the enactment date to sell TikTok, and a possible three-month extension if a sale was in progress.
Trump plans to give TikTok’s company more time to find buyer
15:42
,
AP
Trump says he plans to issue an executive order that would give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the popular video-sharing platform is subject to a permanent ban in the U.S.
The law gives the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale is underway.
Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. In his post on Sunday, Trump proposed making the U.S. a partner in a deal.
BREAKING: Trump says he will issue executive order on Monday in effort to ‘keep TikTok from going dark'
15:34
,
Rhian Lubin
President-elect Donald Trump has shared a statement on Truth Social saying he plans to issue an executive order on Monday in an effort to “keep TikTok from going dark.”
Here’s the full statement:
I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.
The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order. Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.
I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok.
With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions.
Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.
TikTok sister app Lemon8 also goes dark
15:30
,
Rhian Lubin
TikTok’s sister app Lemon8, owned by ByteDance, has also gone dark.
TikTok and Lemon8 have been removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play store.
When users go to download the apps, a message now says “App Not Available.”
Lemon8 is a lifestyle app, with content including, “How to become a 5 am girly” and “How to save $500 in a month.”
At the start of this year, it was ranked the number one free app on Apple’s app store.
Trump reacts to TikTok going dark
15:00
,
Rhian Lubin
President-elect Donald Trump has reacted to TikTok going offline.
He shared a simple message on Truth Social on Sunday morning.
Watch: SNL ‘mourns the loss’ of TikTok by mocking users’ reaction to US ban
14:30
,
Rhian Lubin
In numbers: How TikTok became the world’s most controversial app
14:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
After amassing more than 170 million users in the country in less than seven years, TikTok is now facing an outright ban in the US.
Anthony Cuthbertson reports on how it became the most controversial app in the world.
What happened when TikTok entered negotiations with the Biden administration?
13:00
,
AP
Between January 2021 and August 2022, representatives for TikTok engaged in serious negotiations with the Biden administration about the app’s future in the U.S. The talks resulted in a 90-page draft security agreement that the company presented to CFIUS in August 2022. The two sides then ceased substantive negotiations, according to TikTok’s attorneys, though some meetings also took place in following months.
A copy of the draft agreement submitted in court showed that it would have opened up TikTok’s U.S. platform for security inspections and blocked access of U.S. user data from China. The company says it has already implemented some provisions of the agreement, including routing U.S. user data to servers operated by software giant Oracle.
In its lawsuit to overturn the sell-or-ban law, the company said it spent more than $2 billion to implement aspects of its appeasement plan, which it calls Project Texas.
But the Department of Justice and administration officials argued in court documents that the proposal failed to create sufficient separation between TikTok’s U.S. operations and China. They also said the opacity of TikTok’s algorithm, coupled with the size and technical complexity of the platform, made it impossible for the U.S. government – or its technology provider, Oracle – to effectively guarantee compliance with the proposal.
In February 2023, the White House directed federal agencies to remove TikTok from government-issued devices, mirroring some other countries that also prohibited the use of the app on official devices.
The following month, lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Chew during an hours-long hearing in which he sought to reassure a tense House committee that the platform prioritized user safety and should not be banned due to its Chinese connections.
According to court documents, TikTok’s representatives had their last meeting with CFIUS in September 2023. Later that year, criticism against the platform increased in volume among Republicans in Washington who claimed the platform amplified pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel content, an accusation the company vigorously denied.
Trump says he will ‘most likely’ give TikTok a 90-day reprieve on ban
12:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
In a phone interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker on Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump said he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the U.S. after he takes office on Monday.
Trump said he hadn’t made a final decision but was considering a 90-day extension of the Sunday deadline for TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell to a non-Chinese-buyer or face a U.S. ban.
“I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at. The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate. You know, it’s appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” Trump said.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday,” he said.
Recap: How did TikTok end up in this position?
11:00
,
AP
The possibility of the U.S. outlawing TikTok kept influencers and users in anxious limbo during the four-plus years that lawmakers and judges debated the fate of the video-sharing app. Now, the moment its fans dreaded is here, but uncertainty over TikTok’s future lingers.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law that bans the immensely popular, trend-setting social media platform starting Sunday unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance Ltd., sells to an approved buyer.
The unanimous decision ended a legal battle that pitted national security concerns against free speech rights. TikTok, ByteDance and some of the devoted users who rely on the platform for entertainment, income and community argued the statute violated the First Amendment. The Biden administration sought to show ByteDance’s ownership and control of TikTok posed an unacceptable threat.
The Supreme Court ruling, however, is not guaranteed to end the TikTok saga, which has become enveloped in the wider battle between Beijing and Washington. A Biden administration official told The Associated Press on Thursday that the outgoing administration would leave the law’s implementation — and potential enforcement — to President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump, who is set to return to the White House the day after the ban takes effect, has credited TikTok with helping him win the support of more young voters in last year’s election. A Trump adviser said this week that the incoming administration would “put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark.” What those measures will look like — and if they can withstand legal scrutiny — remained unknown Saturday.
What is Rednote and why are TikTok users switching over?
10:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
A Chinese short-form video app called Xiaohongshu is now the top free app in the Apple App Store, as social media users look to get out ahead of a potential US TikTok ban set to take effect on Sunday.
The app, known as RedNote in English, functions like a cross between Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, and boasts over 300 million monthly active users, considerably below the user base of TikTok.
Josh Marcus takes a look.
Message for TikTok users says app is unavailable - and praises Trump
09:51
,
Sam Rkaina
Anyone trying to use TikTok in the US will now see the message below when they log into the app.
It explains that the law has been enacted and that TikTok cannot be used - for now.
The message also praises Donald Trump following his promise to reinstate the app once he is inaugurated on Monday
How do Americans feel about the TikTok ban?
09:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Surprisingly, Republicans are more likely to support a ban of TikTok despite Donald Trump’s favorable stance toward the app.
Interestingly, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to support banning TikTok despite Trump’s favorable stance towards the app.
— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) January 18, 2025
Notably, a majority of Americans are not in favor of the decision. pic.twitter.com/Lgfr8W7pFY
RedNote users in China welcome TikTok refugees
08:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
TikTok users in the US have reported receiving a warm welcome on other Chinese-owned apps amid a looming ban of the hugely popular social media platform.
China-based Lemon8 and RedNote have both experienced a surge in downloads from US users as the 19 January deadline for the TikTok ban approaches, each topping the app charts.
Anthony Cuthbertson reports.
Chinese state-backed Gobal Times mocks TikTok going dark
06:37
,
Shweta Sharma
In a commentary on a social media post, state-run Global Times quipped the moment should be recorded in American history.
It said the moment is a record of “the paranoia and hypocrisy of certain anti-China politicians” in America.
TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance and has 170 million users in America, had been at the centre of concerns over supposed risks due to the company’s ties to China which posed a potential risk to national security. However, the app the denied the claims.
#Comment: TikTok began going dark for users around 10:30 pm Eastern Time on January 18. This moment should be written into history, recording the paranoia and hypocrisy of certain anti-China politicians in . https://t.co/B34FGeodIQ
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 19, 2025
TikTok star says poignant goodbye with one last viral salmon bowl
06:00
,
Oliver O'Connell
Emily Mariko, who rose to fame as a TikTok food and lifestyle influencer, posted a poignant farewell video the day before the January 19 deadline that will require the social media platform to either be sold to a U.S. company or banned.
In the video, Mariko is alongside her son, Theodore as she assembles her infamous salmon bowl — the dish that first exploded her large online presence to over 12 million followers.
Brittany Miller has the story.
Coco Gauff writes ‘RIP TikTok USA’ on TV camera at Australian Open as app goes offline
05:37
,
Phil Thomas
Tennis star Coco Gauff mourned the loss of TikTok’s app in the US, writing on a TV camera lens “RIP TikTok USA” and drawing a broken heart right after winning a match at the Australian Open to reach the quarterfinals.
Gauff’s three-set victory in the Grand Slam tournament’s main stadium finished on Sunday afternoon local time in Melbourne — about an hour after TikTok could no longer be found on prominent app stores on Saturday in the United States.
Full story:
Mixed reactions to TikTok going offline
04:36
,
Phil Thomas
There were mixed reactions in the immediate aftermath of TikTok going offline, about an hour and a half before a deadline that would have seen it banned.
Former Ohio state senator and Bernie Sanders surrogate Nina Turner tweeted: “Congratulations, Democrats. This could’ve been avoided had you listened to progressives last year when this bill was being forced through Congress.”
Every American TikTok user is currently seeing this when they try to open the app.
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) January 19, 2025
Congratulations, Democrats.
This could’ve been avoided had you listened to progressives last year when this bill was being forced through Congress. pic.twitter.com/NaP4GsiWbK
Mike Nellis, former senior adviser to Kamala Harris, said TikTok going offline was a “disaster for Democrats.” He tweeted: “Most political issues never touch people’s daily lives—but 170 million Americans just had their favorite social media platform taken away from them. And Trump is going to position himself as the savior.”
Anybody acting like TikTok going offline isn’t a political disaster for Democrats is deeply unserious.
— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) January 19, 2025
Most political issues never touch people’s daily lives—but 170 million Americans just had their favorite social media platform taken away from them.
And Trump is going to… pic.twitter.com/NarV5SEahc