TikTok is Back in the US After 14-Hour Blackout
TikTok is back up and running in the U.S. after being down for about 14 hours. The app went offline Saturday night because of a law that banned it unless it cuts ties with its China-based parent company, ByteDance. The Supreme Court recently decided to keep the law in place.
As part of the ban, Google and Apple removed TikTok from their app stores, which made it even harder to use. The law also stopped companies that host websites from supporting TikTok.
But here’s where things get interesting: President-elect Donald Trump made a post on his Truth Social account early Sunday morning, basically saying, “Pause the ban!” He promised to protect companies that help TikTok, and that gave companies like Oracle and Akamai the go-ahead to restore TikTok’s website and app for U.S. users.
Even though TikTok’s back, the app’s future is still up in the air, especially since Apple and Google haven’t agreed to let TikTok back in their stores. Without their approval, TikTok can’t get new users, fix bugs, or process payments. This means users can’t buy coins during live streams or make in-app purchases.
Legal experts, like Alan Rozenshtein from the University of Minnesota, say tech companies are all over the place on this issue. Apple and Google are staying firm, while Oracle and Akamai are helping TikTok, thanks to Trump’s Truth Social post.
Rozenshtein says it’s a bit of a mess. He pointed out that there’s no guarantee Trump, who isn’t even president yet, has the legal power to make this happen. He thinks more lawsuits could be coming in the future.
Under the law, companies that continue to support TikTok could face huge fines—like $5,000 per user, which could add up to billions of dollars. Apple, Google, Oracle, and Akamai haven’t commented yet.
Experts believe Apple and Google are waiting to see if Trump can actually make good on his promises. The law says the president has to prove a deal to sell TikTok is in the works before they can stop enforcing the ban.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers are questioning whether Trump even has the power to stop the law. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Trump can’t just ignore the law. He warned companies like Apple and Google that helping TikTok could cost them big time, with potential lawsuits and penalties coming their way.
So while TikTok is back for now, the fight isn’t over yet, and its future in the U.S. is still uncertain.