TikTok has resumed services for its 170 million users in the US following President-elect Donald Trump's announcement that he would issue an executive order to temporarily halt the app's ban scheduled for his inauguration on Monday.
Prior to this, the Chinese-owned app ceased operation for American users as a result of a national security law coming into force. However, Trump altered course on Sunday, opting to delay law enforcement and work towards a resolution, prompting TikTok to begin the process of restoring services and publicly thanking Trump by name.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is anticipated to be present at Trump's inauguration. The legal implications of Trump's decision to postpone a law already in effect remain uncertain, yet it is predicted that the ban will not be enforced if an executive order is issued by the incoming administration.
Although President Joe Biden's team had indicated their intention not to enforce the law during their final hours in office, TikTok preemptively suspended their services on Saturday evening only to swiftly reinstate access the following day.
The popular short-video platform has been instrumental for American political campaigns in engaging with younger voters. The law passed in April mandated the removal of the US version of the app from app stores and web-hosting services unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sold its US operations.
Despite TikTok arguing that the law infringed on users' free speech rights in the US, the law had bipartisan support in Congress and was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court. This situation highlights a division within the president-elect's party on crucial national security matters, with some members, like Senator Marco Rubio, openly supporting the ban while others, such as Senator Tom Cotton, opposing it on legal grounds.
While TikTok has resumed service for its existing users, the uncertain landscape surrounding third-party involvement in supporting the platform in the US could lead to potential complications for its nationwide availability. This uncertainty extends to potential legal challenges against any executive orders that contradict existing laws relating to TikTok.