TikTok outage short-lived in US
January 20, 2025

TikTok quickly resumed services in the US after incoming President Donald Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the social media app a reprieve when he takes office today [January 20th].
On January 18th, the Chinese-owned app stopped working for its estimated 170 million American users, after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect.
Trump, speaking on January 19th, vowed to delay implementation of the law and allow more time for a deal to be made. TikTok then said that it was in the process of “restoring service”. Soon after, the app resumed operations and a popup message to its users thanked Trump by name.
In a statement, the company thanked the incoming president for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance” and said it would work with him “on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States”.
Trump himself originated the TikTok ban in 2020. A law signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024 required ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell the app to a non-Chinese owner by January 19th or face a ban.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony.