President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to issue an executive order that would give TikTok’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer.
Social media platform TikTok says it is beginning to restore access to its 170 million users in the United States after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to issue an executive order that would give the China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer.
The entertainment app went offline on Saturday in advance of a federal ban which was set to begin on Sunday.
In a statement on Sunday, TikTok’s owners ByteDance said it was in the process of “restoring service” just hours after the platform went dark in the US.
Trump announced the decision to issue an executive order in a post on his Truth Social account on Sunday as millions of TikTok users in the US awoke to discover they could no longer access the TikTok app or platform.
Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with a federal law that required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its US operation to an approved buyer by Sunday.
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” Trump wrote.
“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. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.
“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” he said.
90-day extension to ban law
The law gives the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale is underway. Although investors made a few offers, ByteDance previously said it would not sell. In his post on Sunday, Trump proposed making the US a partner in a deal.
“I would like the United States to have a 50 per cent ownership position in a joint venture,” he said.
“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without US approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions”.
Millions of TikTok users in the United States remain no longer able to watch or post videos on the social media platform as a federal ban on the immensely popular video-sharing app took effect on Sunday amid questions over how long the blackout might last.
The company’s app was removed on Saturday night from prominent app stores, including the ones operated by Apple and Google.
Apple told customers with its devices that it also took down other apps developed by TikTok’s China-based parent company, including one that some social media influencers had promoted as an alternative.
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US,” a pop-up message informed users who opened the TikTok app and tried to scroll through videos.
“Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now”.
