TikTok Starts Restoring Service In The U.S. After Shutting Down Over Divest-Or-Ban Law

CBS Boston

January 20, 2025

Washington — TikTok began restoring service to users in the United States following a temporary and voluntary shutdown that lasted less than a day. The company said Sunday that it was in the process of reinstating access after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to issue an executive order to restore the app.

"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," TikTok said in a statement. "It's a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States."

TikTok app owner ByteDance voluntarily shut down service in the U.S. just hours before a Sunday deadline, cutting off access to tens of millions of users after the Supreme Court this week upheld a law that effectively banned it over concerns about its ties to China.

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