TikTok is back up and running in the US after a temporary shutdown | Dall-e 3 image generator | Free generative fill ai | | Turtles AI

TikTok is back up and running in the US after a temporary shutdown
TikTok Returns to Operations in the US: A Chronicle of Service Restoration and Government Decisions
Editorial Team20 January 2025

 

After a 12-hour outage, TikTok is back in the US thanks to an executive order that reassures service providers and allows operations to resume.

Key points:

  • Service restoration: TikTok is back up and running after a brief outage, with the support of its service providers.
  • Government intervention: An executive order from President-elect Trump postponed the originally planned ban.
  • Contested law: The order required the sale of TikTok or a halt to its operations in the United States.
  • Reassurances: The administration granted immunity to companies involved in maintaining the service.

TikTok has resumed operations in the United States after being temporarily suspended for more than 12 hours due to legal uncertainties related to the ban imposed by the previous administration. The company, in an official statement, thanked President-elect Donald Trump for providing the necessary guarantees to its service providers, reassuring them that there would be no sanctions to continue supporting the application. These reassurances allowed the resumption of service for millions of American users and gave relief to small businesses that use the platform for commercial purposes.

The ban, part of a law that would have forced ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to cede ownership of the application or completely stop operations in the United States, would have made it illegal for US companies to provide any form of technical or distribution support for the app. The application of this regulation, scheduled for Sunday, was temporarily suspended thanks to an intervention by President Trump, who issued an executive order granting an extension to allow for a definitive solution.

Trump justified his decision by emphasizing the importance of the platform for freedom of expression and for the possibility of documenting significant events, such as the upcoming presidential inauguration. He also highlighted that his order would eliminate any legal liability for companies involved in maintaining the service during the regulatory transition.

Although TikTok’s return has been welcomed by users, strong criticism remains from some lawmakers. Senator Tom Cotton, for example, has highlighted the risks associated with the involvement of a company considered to be under the influence of the Chinese government. At the same time, the administration has suggested a possible long-term solution, hypothesizing the creation of a joint venture that would see a 50% American participation in the app.

TikTok, in its statement, expressed its willingness to work with the US authorities to find a sustainable solution that guarantees the presence of the app in the country. Although the app has returned to working for the majority of users, at the time of the official announcement it was not yet visible on the digital stores of Apple and Google, marking a further transition phase for the service.

TikTok’s comeback demonstrates how dialogue and regulatory flexibility can create opportunities for a balanced solution, even in a context of complex political and commercial tensions.