"Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it," Trump said at a rally on Sunday ahead of his inauguration, adding that the U.S. will seek a joint venture to restore the short-video sharing app used by 170 million Americans.
In a message to users hours before the rally, TikTok said: "As a result of president Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S."
TikTok also issued an earlier statement after U.S. users reported being able to access the Chinese-owned service's website while the far more widely used TikTok app itself began coming back online for some users with just a few basic services. As of Sunday evening, the app remained unavailable for download on U.S. app stores.
"In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service," TikTok said in the earlier statement that also thanked Trump for "providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive."
TikTok’s public thanks to Trump, the day before he takes office, comes at a tense moment in U.S.-China relations. Trump has said he intends to place tariffs on China but has also indicated he hopes to have more direct contact with China’s leader.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington on Friday accused the U.S. of using unfair state power to suppress TikTok. "China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," a spokesperson said.
TikTok stopped working for U.S. users late on Saturday before a law shutting it down on national security grounds took effect on Sunday. U.S. officials had warned that under Chinese parent company ByteDance, there was a risk of Americans' data being misused.
Trump said he would "extend the period of time before the law's prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security."
"I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture," he wrote on Truth Social.
Trump said the executive order would specify there would be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before his order.
Trump had earlier said he would most likely give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from the ban after he takes office, a promise TikTok cited in a notice posted to users on the app.
"A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned," a message notified users of TikTok, which disappeared from Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and Google app stores late on Saturday.
Trump saving TikTok represents a reversal in stance from his first term in office. In 2020, he aimed to ban the app over concerns the company was sharing Americans' personal info with the Chinese government. More recently, Trump has said he has "a warm spot in my heart for TikTok," crediting the app with helping him win over young voters in the 2024 election.
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U.S. President Donald Trump will extend the deadline for TikTok's U.S. divestment for a third time, giving 90 more days to finalize a sale, the White House confirmed.
TikTok’s fate in the United States is once again hanging in the balance, as a looming deadline threatens to force a sale—or trigger a nationwide ban—amid a flurry of last-minute bids and high-stakes political maneuvering.
President Donald Trump said a deal with TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance to sell the short video app used by 170 million Americans would be struck before a deadline on Saturday.
Washington, D.C., February 19, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Air Force One that he is in discussions with Chinese officials regarding TikTok, as the United States seeks to broker a sale of the popular social media app, Reuters reported.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
A deadly heatwave has claimed 1,180 lives in Spain since May, with elderly people most at risk, prompting calls for urgent social support.
Spain is battling some of the largest wildfires in its history, with uncontrolled blazes raging in more than 50 locations from the north to the south of the country, forcing over 4,000 people to spend the night outdoors.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a ceasefire deal.
The United States has deployed more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to waters near Latin America and the Caribbean in a major move against drug cartels, CNN reported on Friday, citing defence officials.
West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey is deploying 300 to 400 National Guard troops to Washington at the request of the Trump administration, his office confirmed Saturday.
A China-supported landmine elimination project has cleared more than 160 square kilometres of contaminated land in Cambodia since 2018, directly benefiting over 2.6 million people, officials said Saturday.
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