TikTok back online in the US, thanks Trump for providing ‘clarity’

TikTok

The TikTok ban in the US lasted around 14 hours. The company has confirmed that it is in the process of restoring services in the country. In a statement on social media, the company said, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. 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.”

Both Apple and Google had removed the app from their respective app stores and users were notified with a message about temporary shutdown of the app. However, the app is now back after Trump had promised a swift resolution.

US president Donald Trump also posted a statement where he asked companies to not let TikTok stay dark. “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. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” Trump said.

He also said that he would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up.  Without US approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions,” the US president said. He also shared his “initial thought” where he indicated that a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners “whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.”