Less than 24 hours after the shutdown, TikTok said the app was back online after President-elect Donald Trump offered assurances to the company's service providers — presumably Apple, Google and Oracle — that his administration would not enforce laws banning the app in the US. first place
“In accordance with agreements with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service,” the company wrote in a statement. “We thank President Trump for providing needed clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for making TikTok available to more than 170 million people. America and allowing more than 7 million small businesses to thrive. It's a strong stance in favor of the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution to keep TikTok in the United States.”
This is the latest salvo in the dramatic battle over TikTok's future in the US. Last year, Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to divest its US operations or face a ban starting January 19. TikTok sued on First Amendment grounds but lost in the Supreme Court. Last night, Apple and Google pulled the app from their respective app stores as well as many other apps developed by ByteDance.
This is a developing story.