WASHINGTON: Hours after TikTok went dark across the United States, President-elect Donald Trump called for the US to take part-ownership in TikTok and vowed to issue an executive order delaying a ban on the wildly popular app to allow time to “make a deal”.

Trump’s announcement came on Sunday, as a deadline for its Chinese owners ByteDance to sell its US subsidiary to non-Chinese buyers lapsed. The law banning the app, however, includes a clause allowing for a 90-day delay if the White House can show progress toward a viable deal.

ByteDance flatly refused any sale and TikTok stopped working for its 170 million American users late on Saturday before a law shutting it down on national security grounds took effect on Sunday.

Outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration said it would leave the matter to Trump, who takes office on Monday, and that it would not enforce any ban.

Social media app begins to restore service after daylong blackout

“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

He said he “would like the United States to have a 50pc 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 save TikTok, keep it in good hands,” Trump wrote.

Later in a statement, TikTok said, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.” TikTok thanked Trump for “providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170m Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”

From teenage dancers to grandmothers sharing cooking tips, TikTok has been embraced for its ability to transform ordinary users into celebrities.

In an earlier message to dismayed users trying to access the app on Sunday, TikTok said, “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.

Sunday’s blackout came after the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld the legislation banning it pending any sale. But the app now has a fan in Trump, who since signing an executive order stepping up pressure on ByteDance to sell in 2020 has since credited the app with connecting him to younger voters.

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

Other social media platforms such as X were flooded with memes and comments mourning the move — though some posts were more cynical, with many pointing to Trump’s own previous efforts to ban TikTok.

In Europe, TikTok’s suspension drew praise from the foreign minister of Estonia, according to the European Media Literacy Index. “Banning TikTok must be considered in Europe as well,” Margus Tsahkna said on X.

The ban even became a hot topic at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where American tennis player Coco Gauff scrawled “RIP TikTok USA” on a courtside camera. “I love TikTok, it’s like an escape… hopefully it comes back,” the world number three told reporters.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2025