Americans rejoice as TikTok reopens after 12 hours of ban, all thanks to Mr. Trump

Specifically, this social networking platform announced on the morning of January 20 (Vietnam time): "Thank you for your patience and support. Thanks to the efforts of President Trump, TikTok is back."

The app was originally shut down in the US late on January 18. On January 19, when millions of users were unable to access the app, Mr. Trump pledged to issue an executive order to postpone the ban to give time to "reach an agreement."

"I will be issuing an executive order on January 20 to extend the time before the law's bans take effect so we can reach an agreement to protect our national security," Trump said. Accordingly, just a few hours after Trump made the above statement, TikTok returned to normal operations in the US.

This move was considered surprising when TikTok itself took the initiative to "shut down", causing users in this country to be unable to access the platform since January 19. The application, along with Lemon8 and CapCut, both owned by ByteDance, were also removed from the App Store and Google Play.

Those who tried to open the app then received a message: "The TikTok ban has gone into effect in the United States. That means you can't use it right now. Fortunately, President Donald Trump has expressed his intention to work with us to find a solution to unblock TikTok after taking office. Please wait."

Yesterday, Mr. Trump said he would issue an executive order after his inauguration to delay the implementation of a law that would force TikTok to divest or be banned. Hours later, many people said they were able to access both the TikTok app and website.

"As agreed with our suppliers, TikTok is restoring service. Thank you President Trump for ensuring our suppliers will not face any penalties and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive," the company said. "We will work with Mr. Trump to find a long-term solution that keeps TikTok available."

This is considered good news for millions of people, especially those who are using this application every day to follow information, entertain and earn a living.

Previously, in April 2024, Mr. Joe Biden signed into law the Protecting Americans from Foreign-Controlled Apps Act (PAFACA), requiring TikTok to cut ties with its parent company ByteDance in China or be completely banned by January 20.

Despite assurances from Mr Trump, TikTok still faces pressure from ByteDance to sell, including from the president-elect.

Mr. Trump announced on social media on January 19 that he wanted the US to hold a 50% stake in a joint venture so that the app would continue to be available to American users.

“Without U.S. approval, TikTok would not exist. But with it, it would be worth hundreds of billions, perhaps trillions of dollars,” he wrote. The president-elect said his original intention was to form a joint venture between the current owners and new investors, with the U.S. holding a 50% stake.

As Mr Trump prepares to take office, some of the world's biggest tech leaders will be at his side, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who met with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago last month, is also expected to attend the inauguration. After the Supreme Court’s ruling on January 17, Chew thanked Trump for his commitment to finding a solution to keep TikTok open.

TikTok now has 170 million users in the US — about half the population. For many, TikTok is their main source of income, so the new announcement is welcome news.

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