After a brief and dramatic hiatus, TikTok has returned for U.S. users after President Donald Trump reportedly intervened to save the platform from an uncertain fate.
The whirlwind began late Saturday night when TikTok abruptly stopped working for American users. The shutdown coincided with a looming national security-driven ban set to take effect Sunday. Instead of their usual feeds, users encountered a cryptic message urging them to "stay tuned." TikTok’s sudden disappearance stemmed from a law citing concerns that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could misuse Americans’ data.
By Sunday evening, TikTok began quietly coming back online—albeit with limited functionality at first. Users who regained access shared a mix of relief and confusion, while the app remained unavailable for download in U.S. app stores.
Why is TikTok back online?
In a dramatic turn, Trump issued an executive order halting the ban. This move not only allowed TikTok to resume operations but also granted the app a 90-day reprieve.
However, this marks a striking shift for Trump, who initiated and championed efforts to ban TikTok outright, citing significant privacy risks. Back in 2020, Trump pushed aggressively for ByteDance to divest from TikTok.
Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts issued a joint statement in opposition to the executive order, noting that “Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date.”
While Trump’s executive order has given TikTok a temporary lifeline, the long-term future of the app remains uncertain. For now, however, U.S. users can breathe a sigh of relief and resume their scrolling as if the app had never left.