- TikTok’s ban in the US has just come into force
- Donald Trump has hinted he could save it
- A petition has been started to keep the app live for its 170 million US users
TikTok’s ban in the US has officially started – but could it come back somehow?
Currently, things aren’t looking so good – the app no longer works on the phones of its 170 million US users. It’s also no longer available on any app stores.
Read more: TikTok users share reactions to app going dark
TikTok now displays the following message: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned.”
The news has provoked mixed reactions. Obviously, frequent users might mix their fix of daily short-form content, but the TikTok ban also has more far reaching implications. Creators who rely on the app for a form of income have been left short-changed and some are concerned that the ban amounts to censorship.
The Supreme Court ruled that the site would only remain available in the US “under American ownership or other ownership that addresses the national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law”.
Is Trump bringing TikTok back?
The app’s best hopes are potentially for President elect Donald Trump to act against it. Though he first raised the possibility of banning TikTok in 2020, it was Joe Biden’s government that set it in motion.
Trump said that he could give TikTok a 90-day grace period once he takes office.
“The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it’s appropriate,” Trump told NBC News on Saturday.
“If I decide to do that, I’ll probably announce it on Monday.”
In another interview with ABC News, he reiterated: “Well, I have the right as you know, I’m the one who is going to be calling the shots. Most likely, I’ll extend for 90 days – you have the extension for 90 days as you probably know. I’ll do that until we figure something out.”
Trump is legally allowed to grant TikTok a 90-day extension. The law stipulates that three conditions must be true – there’s a path to ByteDance selling, there’s “significant progress” toward executing it, and “there are in place the relevant binding legal agreements to enable execution of such qualified divestiture during the period of such extension.”
The President elect is opposed to the TikTok ban because TikTok has helped him politically.
In December, he said at a press conference: “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth [in the 2024 election] by 34 points. And there are those who say TikTok has something to do with it.”
Is there anything else being done?
Some petitions were launched demanding TikTok be brought back.
California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna has been a consistent vocal supporter of TikTok. He launched a petition to save TikTok from the ban and told Newsweek:
“My petition opposing the TikTok ban has over 480,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. It shows how deeply concerned Americans are about their small businesses, livelihoods, and free speech being taken away. The pressure is working. We must stand up for the 170 million Americans on the app and stop the ban.”
Several other petitions are appearing on change.org, with one racking up over 380,000 signatures.
“We don’t need Government Officials telling us what is “good or bad” for us. We live in a Democracy and The People are telling you that WE Want OUR TikTok!!!” one user wrote.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also expressed concerns over the ban:
“Banning TikTok is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and un-American. If the Supreme Court allows the government to shut down an entire platform on such a flimsy evidentiary record, it would set a disturbing precedent for future government restrictions on online speech.”It has also launched a petition where you can send a message to your senators urging them to protect free speech and vote against any legislation that would effectively ban TikTok.
