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What were you doing when TikTok was temporarily shut down last Saturday night? Did you “reconnect with nature?” Maybe you “crashed out?” Either way, this unknown time–though lasting less than a day–was undoubtedly stressful for TikTok lovers around the country. Most are not “a big fan of whatever this is.”
In April of 2024, former President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress giving ByteDance–the Chinese company that owns TikTok–270 days to sell the platform off to a U.S. buyer. If ByteDance failed to concede, TikTok would face a ban in the United States beginning on January 19th. The enactment of this bill was the result of many raised suspicions in regards to Communist China having access to a widely-used American app. Many worry that ByteDance is not trustworthy with Americans’ personal information, as it could be used for spying or sketchy collection and analysis. Therefore, Congress agreed that something needed to be done if TikTok were to continue in the United States.
The looming date of January 19th—when the ban would officially take effect–was the main subject of discussion in the weeks prior. Influencers began to bid their dramatic farewells decorated with tears, nostalgia, and certainly reflections about their beloved app. TikTokers posted videos, joking that they would “marry TikTok” if they had the ability to prevent a ban. Others declared they would move away if it stopped working in the U.S. The tearful goodbyes were certainly hyperbolized, but there is much revealed in the mere fact that a couple hours of no TikTok was a complete panic to users around the country. What would we do without TikTok–an app where we can laugh at singing cat videos, cry over military family reunions, or bond over shared experiences? What if it’s just gone?
Prior to his inauguration on January 20th, President Donald Trump promised to reverse the ban and save Tiktok “used by 170 million Americans.” However, Trump can’t simply reverse a ban that was passed by Congress and legally signed by Biden in 2024. Instead, Trump was forced to take a less radical approach when TikTok switched off its servers last Saturday night.
When attempting to open the app at approximately 9:00 pm last Saturday, an error message immediately appeared, saying “[a law] forces us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We’re working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible.” Less than 24 hours later, TikTokers delightedly found the app working again. This time, a message popped up on the screen, crediting Trump for its return, saying, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.” This is because Trump halted the ban for 75 days, hoping he can find a buyer willing to acquire TikTok’s assets from ByteDance. Legal concerns about Trump’s executive power have been discussed, as Trump may be over-exercising his presidential power in trying to halt a law that has already been passed by Congress.
Regardless, President Trump shares that he believes selling TikTok is necessary to “protect our national security,” given that hundreds of millions love the app for its daily entertainment, while tens of thousands rely on it for income. Interestingly, it was Trump who, in 2020, called for ByteDance to sell the platform. While his order was never approved and was later revoked by Biden, the situation reflects the controversial and rather self-contradicting approaches President Trump has taken on the issue.
Ultimately, TikTok’s fate is in the hands of American billionaires who can afford to buy its assets–or at least partially. Trump anticipates that Tiktok will end up being owned by both an American buyer and partially by a non disclosed sector. Rumors are spreading rapidly about who will “save Tiktok.” Will it be Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank? What about Larry Ellison–chair of Oracle? Or even Elon Musk? Maybe Mr. Beast will be the hero? The answer to this question remains up in the air. So, in the meantime, make your GRWMs, follow your favorite influencers on other platforms, download your favorite aesthetic “unboxing” videos, and certainly don’t forget to save your drafts. While it is likely that TikTok will be handed over to the United States in the next 75 days, it is perhaps just as likely that the error message will pop up on your phone again–and this time for good.
Information used in this article was taken from:
