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TikTok restores service to users in the US after receiving assurances from Trump

President-elect Trump said he will issue an executive order after being inaugurated Monday that will give TikTok's China-based parent company more time to find a U.S. buyer and avoid a permanent ban.
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Less than a day after the popular social media platform TikTok went offline for users across the United States, the company says it has now restored service.

"Thanks for your patience and support," a message read Sunday when users opened the app. "As a result of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S..!"

A "Welcome back" message from TikTok.
A "Welcome back" message from TikTok.

The move comes after President-elect Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order once he is inaugurated Monday to give TikTok's China-based parent company more time to find a U.S. buyer and avoid a permanent ban.

"I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture," Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social platform. "By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions."

Trump also said his executive order will make sure there is "no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order."

RELATED STORY | TikTok goes dark as US law banning app takes effect

TikTok users in the U.S. were greeted with a message on Saturday night saying the app was no longer available due to a law that went into effect Jan. 19.

A screenshot of a message from TikTok.
TikTok notifies U.S. users that the app is no longer available due to a new law.

The app was also removed from the Apple Store and Google Play.

TikTok warned that it would go dark in the U.S. unless it got assurances from the Biden administration that it would not enforce a law that was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday. The Biden administration deferred any future action to the incoming Trump administration.

RELATED STORY | Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO as potential US ban looms

Congress passed the bipartisan bill into law in April of last year that banned TikTok from operating in the United States, citing national security concerns.

The legislation required TikTok to either divest from its China-based parent company ByteDance, sell the platform to a U.S.-owned company, or face a shutdown on Jan. 19.