New York: US President-elect Donald Trump said he would restore TikTok access in the US through an executive order after he is sworn in on Monday, but said he wants the popular social media app to have at least half of US investors. Be owned.
TikTok stopped working in the United States late Saturday and disappeared from the Apple and Google app stores ahead of a law that will take effect on Sunday that would have banned the platform used by 170 million Americans. Must be closed.
Trump previously said he would give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after taking office on Monday, a promise TikTok made in a notice posted to users on the app.
“TikTok has been banned in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok just yet. We’re fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will ban TikTok once he takes office. Will work with us on a fix to restore. Please stay tuned,” the message informed users trying to use the app late Saturday night.
“I would like the United States to take a 50 percent ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, put it in good hands and allow it to speak,” he said on his social media. Written on the platform Truth Social.
Trump said the executive order would make it clear that there would be no liability for any company that helped prevent TikTok from going dark before his order.
Even if temporary, the unprecedented shutdown of China’s ByteDance-owned TikTok will have far-reaching implications for US-China relations, US domestic politics, the social media marketplace and millions of Americans who are economically and culturally Depends on the app. .
The US has never banned any major social media platform. The law, overwhelmingly passed by Congress, gives the incoming Trump administration the power to ban or ban the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.
Other ByteDance-owned apps, including video editing app CapCut and lifestyle social app Lemon8, were also offline and unavailable in US app stores by the end of the week.
“A 90-day extension is something that will probably be done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC. “If I decide to do it, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
It was unclear if any US users could still access the app, but it was no longer working for many users, and those who wanted to access it via the web application, They were met with the same message that TikTok is no longer working.
TikTok, which has captivated nearly half of Americans, fueled small businesses and shaped online culture, warned on Friday that America would go dark on Sunday until President Joe Biden’s The administration doesn’t offer assurances to companies like Apple and Google that they won’t face it. Implementation of the ban.
Move on to the alternative.
Under a law passed last year and upheld by a unanimous Supreme Court on Friday, the platform has until Sunday to sever ties with its parents living in China or address concerns that pose a threat to national security. It was time to shut down its US operation.
Biden’s White House reiterated on Saturday that it was up to the incoming administration to take action.
“We see no reason for TikTok or other companies to take action in the next few days before the Trump administration takes office on Monday,” press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment on the White House statement.
The Chinese embassy in Washington on Friday accused the US of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. “China will take all necessary measures to protect its legitimate rights and interests,” a spokesman said.
Uncertainty about the app’s future had sent users — mostly young people — scrambling to alternatives, including China-based RedNote. Rivals Meta and Snap have seen their share prices rise this month ahead of the ban, as investors bet on user traffic and advertising dollars.
“This is my new home now,” one user wrote in a RedNote post, tagged with the words “tiktokrefugee” and “sad.”
Minutes after TikTok shut down in the US, other users moved to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I really didn’t think they would cut off TikTok. Now I’m sad and I miss the friends I made there. Hopefully it’ll all be back in a few days,” RavenclawJedi. wrote
‘Hair on fire’ moment
NordVPN, a popular virtual private network, or VPN, that allows users to access the internet from servers around the world, said it was “experiencing temporary technical difficulties”.
According to Google Trends, web searches for “VPN” spiked within minutes of US users losing access to TikTok.
Users on Instagram are worried whether they will still receive the goods they bought on the video platform’s e-commerce arm TikTok Shop.
Marketing firms that rely on TikTok have rushed to develop contingency plans in what one executive described as a “hair on fire” moment after months of conventional wisdom that a solution would emerge to keep the app afloat. .
There have been signs that TikTok could make a comeback under Trump, who has said he wants to push for a “political solution” to the problem and last month urged the Supreme Court to block the ban.
TikTok CEO Xu Zhiqiu plans to attend the US presidential inauguration on Sunday and attend a rally with Trump, a source told Reuters.
Suitors, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, have expressed interest in the fast-growing business, which analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion. Media reports say Beijing has also discussed selling TikTok’s US operations to billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk, although the company has denied this.
US search engine startup Perplexity AI submitted a bid to merge ByteDance for Perplexity with TikTok US on Saturday, a source familiar with the company’s plans told Reuters. Perplexity will merge with TikTok US and combine the merged company with other partners to form a new entity, the person added.
Privately held ByteDance is about 60 percent owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock and General Atlantic, while its founders and employees own 20 percent. It has more than 7,000 employees in the United States.
