TikTok restores service in the US after President-elect Donald Trump vows to delay ban

TikTok is up and running again in the US, after briefly going dark – and the wildly popular app’s developers say it has Donald Trump to thank.

TikTok is up and running again in the United States after briefly going dark, but Elon Musk has said “something needs to change” with his own site, X, still banned in China.

The Chinese-owned service credited Donald Trump, who retakes power on Tuesday morning AEDT, for making the reversal possible and said it was in “the process of restoring service” – though the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden had previously said that it would not enforce any ban.

“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 wrote in a statement on X.

“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.”

TikTok is up and running again in the United States, after briefly going dark. Picture: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images via AFP

The app thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for vowing to delay the ban. Picture: Allison Robbert/POOL/AFP

The video-sharing app had shut down in America late on Saturday local time as a deadline for its Chinese owners ByteDance to sell its US subsidiary to non-Chinese buyers loomed.

As millions of dismayed users found themselves barred from the app, Mr Trump promised to issue an executive order delaying the ban to allow time to “make a deal”.

He also called in a post on his Truth Social platform for the US to take part-ownership in TikTok.

The President-elect said he “would like the United States to have a 50 per cent ownership position in a joint venture”, arguing that the app’s value could surge to “hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions”.

“By doing this, we have TikTok, keep it in good hands,” Mr Trump, who had previously backed a TikTok ban and, during his first time in office, made moves towards one, wrote.

In its own statement, TikTok’s developers did not address Mr Trump’s call for part-American ownership of the app.

Elon Musk said he had been ‘against a TikTok ban for a long time’. Picture: Allison Robbert/POOL/AFP

The world's richest man raised a gripe over the app's return. Picture: X

Elon Musk, who owns X, welcomed TikTok’s restoration – but took issue with the fact a Chinese-owned app was allowed to operate in America.

“I have been against a TikTok ban for a long time, because it goes against freedom of speech,” the world’s richest man wrote in a post.

“That said, the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced.

“Something needs to change.”

The message TikTok users were greeted with on Saturday. Picture: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images via AFP

The Biden administration said it would leave enforcement of the law to Mr Trump.

From teenage dancers to grandmothers sharing cooking tips, TikTok has been embraced for its ability to transform ordinary users into global celebrities when a video goes viral.

But it is also rife with disinformation, and its Chinese ownership has long spurred national security fears, internationally as well as in the US.

Sunday’s blackout came after the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld the legislation banning it pending any sale.

Mr Trump, who signed an executive order stepping up pressure on ByteDance to sell in 2020, has since credited the app with connecting him to younger voters.

It is unclear what the incoming president can do to lift the ban unless ByteDance ultimately sells, however.

“Congress wrote this law to be virtually president-proof,” warned Adam Kovacevich, chief executive of industry trade group Chamber of Progress.

Besides removing TikTok from app stores, the law requires Apple and Google to block new downloads, with the companies liable for penalties of up to $US5000 ($8061) per user if the app is accessed.

Oracle, which hosts TikTok’s servers, would also be legally obligated to enforce the ban.