TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, had previously disregarded a law mandating the sale of its US operations to prevent a ban. Credit: Below the Sky/Shutterstock.

TikTok has resumed services to its 170 million US users following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of an executive order to delay the enforcement of the law banning the app.

The Chinese-owned app had stopped working late at night on Saturday 18 January 2025, after a law banning it on national security grounds was to take effect in the early hours of Sunday 19 January.  

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Trump promised to extend the period for the implementation of the law, thereby allowing more time for a deal.

TikTok stated it was “restoring service” and soon after, the app was operational again. The company thanked Trump for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance.”

TikTok chief executive officer Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration today.

“We have to save it,” Trump stated, hinting plans for a joint venture that would enable the US to have a “50% ownership” in the short-video sharing app.

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Posting on social media platform Truth Social, Trump said on Sunday: “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.”

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, had previously disregarded a law mandating the sale of its US operations to prevent a ban.

The Supreme Court upheld the law last Friday, which was to come into effect on Sunday (19 January).

It is not clear what legal authority Trump has to postpone a law already in effect. However, it’s expected his administration will refrain from enforcing the ban if he issues an executive order. This move will mark a shift from Trump’s previous stance supporting the ban.

President Joe Biden’s administration had already indicated it would not enforce the law in its final hours, allowing the incoming Trump administration to address the issue.

Despite this, TikTok had suspended services on Saturday before resuming on Sunday. The platform served as a tool for political campaigns targeting younger voters.

The law, passed in April 2024, required the US version of TikTok to be removed from app stores if ByteDance did not sell its US operations.

TikTok argued that the law violated free speech protections. In December 2024, the company filed an emergency motion for a temporary injunction against a US ban to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

More recently, the law received bipartisan support in Congress and was upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court.