TikTok restored service to American users Sunday after temporarily shutting down in response to a Congressionally passed law upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court over its Chinese ownership.
The company said it was restoring service after President-elect Donald Trump pledged to sign an executive order to give TikTok more time to work out its ownership concerns.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok said in a statement. “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the ban signed by President Joe Biden was constitutional.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the Supreme Court said in its decision. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary. For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights.”
The ban enacted by Biden mandated that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, sell by Jan. 19 or be shut down.
Federal lawmakers had argued the ban was necessary to safeguard sensitive data while the Chinese-owned company’s legal team argued that it violates First Amendment rights, stating officials failed to provide sufficient evidence related to those concerns.
Trump had previously petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to delay the enforcement after expressing sympathy over TikTok’s position. He asked that his incoming administration address the national security concerns through “political negotiations” rather than an outright ban.
“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,” Trump wrote on Sunday. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
Trump also said he’d like the U.S. “to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up.”
• The Center Square reporter Shirleen Guerra contributed to this report.
