Donald Trump Oath Ceremony: What His Presidency Means for TikTok’s Future

Donald Trump Oath Ceremony: TikTok in the US has been a hot topic of debate, especially with national security concerns surrounding its Chinese ownership.

Under Trump’s first term, TikTok’s operations were uncertain due to a law requiring its parent company, ByteDance, to divest its US operations. Follow Donald Trump’s inauguration LIVE updates.

But recent developments suggest a change of heart, with President-elect Trump saying he will save the app and let it continue to operate in the US after it shut down for a day last week.

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TikTok ban in US

TikTok has about 170 million users in America and was banned in the country over national security concerns. A federal law required ByteDance to cut ties with US operations. The law gave the company until January 19 to do so.

The courts, including the Supreme Court, refused to overturn the law, effectively banning the app in the country until ByteDance either sells the US operations or shuts it down for good.

On January 19, millions of TikTok users in the US woke up to find they couldn’t access the TikTok app or platform.

“A law has been passed banning TikTok in the US,” a pop-up message read. “Unfortunately that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” Google and Apple also removed the app from their stores in a bid to comply with the federal law.

Shift in Trump's view?

As TikTok stopped working for US users, US President-elect Donald Trump said he will sign an executive order after his inauguration on Monday to give ByteDance more time to work out a deal.

He will extend the period before the law’s prohibitions take effect. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

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Shortly after Trump’s message, TikTok restored its services for US users. It also thanked Trump. “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the US,” it told its users.

Trump saving TikTok is a reversal from his first term. In 2020 he wanted to ban the app over concerns the company was sharing Americans’ personal information with the Chinese government.

More recently he said he has “a warm spot” in his heart for TikTok and credited it with helping him win over young voters in the 2024 presidential election.

Trump’s team has been looking for a way to satisfy the legal requirement that prohibits hosting a “foreign adversary controlled application”, reported AP. TikTok shut down in the US but came back after Trump’s promise.

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