«TikTok is back». While on Saturday evening, January 18, TikTok was no longer accessible in the United States, the platform was finally partially restored in the country, following statements by Donald Trump. If you haven’t followed what happened this weekend, here’s what you need to know.
Why was TikTok disconnected on Saturday evening?
On Saturday evening, it was impossible for the approximately 171 million American users to connect to their TikTok account. While the application had disappeared from the App Store and the Play Store, the platform informed its users who were trying to identify themselves or connect that, under a law banning TikTok, it was no longer possible to use the social network, "for the moment".
A law signed last April by American President Joe Biden requires TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to leave American territory, unless that it does not sell its shares in the social network to American shareholders. The transaction had to take place before Sunday, January 19, otherwise the application used by 170 million Americans would be blocked in the country. Which explains why a few hours before the deadline of January 19, TikTok “unplugged” its services, ByteDance having always refused to sell its social network.
Why this law? For years, the platform has been accused of being “the Trojan horse of the Chinese Communist Party,” against a backdrop of competition, even a trade and technology war between China and the United States. TikTok, like all social networks, collects its users’ personal data to monetize them. However, the Biden administration feared, like Trump's during his first term, that these data would be sent to China and transmitted to the Chinese government, which could use them to spy on certain personalities or even manipulate public opinion.
After the law was passed last April, TikTok, used by nearly one in two Americans, filed numerous appeals against the text. The last appeal was heard on Friday, January 18 by the Supreme Court, which ended with the social network's requests being rejected. From this decision, everything suggested that for the Chinese platform, the fight was well and truly over. The network, which until now seemed to reject any idea of a forced sale, was due to leave the United States on January 19. But…
Why was TikTok finally – partially – restored?
But as early as Saturday, TikTok warned in its message to users: “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to restore TikTok once he takes office”. Donald Trump, the President of the United States who will be inaugurated in a few hours this Monday, January 20, had indeed promised during his election campaign to “save” the social network.
And the message arrived on Sunday, January 19, during a rally: “Frankly, we have no choice. "We have to save (the social network, editor's note)," declared the billionaire, whose comments were reported by Reuters, this Monday, January 20. The future head of state, who acknowledged that the app helped him gain the trust of young voters in the 2024 presidential election, added that the United States was looking to create a joint venture to restore the short-video sharing app.
This led to the unblocking of TikTok. A few hours before the rally, the platform was, for some users, partially accessible again. Only a few basic services were working. The platform's message simply stated that: "Thanks to the efforts of President Trump, TikTok is back in the United States."
In a statement, the platform clarified that “in agreement with our service providers, (it) is restoring service.” The company also thanked Donald Trump for having “provided the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will not be penalized (for) providing TikTok to more than 170 million Americans and enabling more than 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
Have the CEO of the social network, Shou Zi Chew, and Donald Trump spoken? No one knows, but Donald Trump added that he would extend “the period of time before the prohibitions in the law take effect, so that we can reach an agreement to protect our national security.” In other words, he will give TikTok more time before implementing a possible ban. "A 90-day reprieve" after taking office would be granted to the Chinese company. Donald Trump stressed that no liability would be incurred "against companies that prevent TikTok from being unplugged." Like the App Store and Google Play, which removed the platform from their app stores, as of Saturday, January 18?
The American president added that he would like TikTok to be owned by a joint venture in which half would belong to American shareholders, according to a message published on his social network Truth Social. Not sure that this would suit China in a context of war and technological and commercial competition.
What will happen next?
At the inauguration, Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of TikTok, is expected to be present, according to a source from Reuters. We will then have to wait for the president's decree which should be issued in the next few hours to know the fate of TikTok. It is already known that the possible access to TikTok's algorithm by an American company will be hotly debated.
Here too, parallel discussions seem to be taking place with, on the one hand, TikTok and the American government, and on the other, the Chinese government and Washington, according to American media. Last week, we learned that Beijing and Washington were discussing a possible acquisition of TikTok, notably by Elon Musk, without the platform having been informed - information denied by the latter.
Actions could also be taken by those who support the ban or forced sale of TikTok in the country. This is the case, for example, of Republican senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts, who declared, in a press release, that "there was no legal basis for any 'extension' of the effective date of the law." “For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that meets the requirements of the law (…) by severing all ties between TikTok and communist China,” they continued.
Finally, potential buyers could come forward. American startup Perplexity AI reportedly made an offer to ByteDance on Saturday, January 18, according to a Reuters source. The TikTok saga in the United States is therefore far from over.
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