Tiktok is Back - Well

Barely 12 hours after going offline in the United States, the video-sharing app TikTok is being restored. The company announced it is working with service providers to bring the app back online after a brief period of unavailability.

The outage followed the impending enforcement of a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app or face a ban in the US. This law also prohibits US companies from providing support for the app’s distribution, maintenance, and updates.

The situation was complicated by the imminent transition to the Trump administration. While officials from the outgoing Biden White House and the Department of Justice indicated they would defer enforcement of the law to the incoming administration, TikTok stressed the need for “definitive” assurances for its crucial service providers to prevent a shutdown. The app subsequently ceased functioning on Saturday night and was removed from the Apple and Google Play app stores.

A turning point came with a statement from President-elect Trump indicating an executive order to delay the ban. He also suggested a desire for the app’s swift reinstatement, citing the desire for Americans to view the upcoming inauguration on Monday. His statement included confirmation of “no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”

This announcement provided sufficient reassurance for TikTok and its service providers, leading to the restoration of the app for some users even before the company’s official statement.

However, the situation remains fluid. As of early Sunday afternoon, the app had not yet reappeared on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Additionally, some lawmakers expressed continued concerns, with Republican Senator Tom Cotton stating that companies facilitating TikTok could face significant liability.

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Image Source: Pixabay with thanks to Sallman Hayat