This illustration photo taken in Los Angeles on January 18, 2025 shows the TikTok app on a smartphone screen in front of a photo of US President-elect Donald Trump. TikTok disconnected access to its users in the United States late January 18 after no action was taken shortly before a national ban was to take effect, in the name of national security, unless its Chinese owners reach a deal to sell it to non-Chinese buyers by January 19, with President-elect Donald Trump unable to intervene until he takes office. “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US,” said a message to users attempting to use the app. “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP)
US President-elect Donald Trump indicated Sunday that he planned to “save” TikTok, the popular Chinese video-sharing app, which briefly went dark in the United States after a law banning it on national security grounds came into effect.
“Frankly, we have no choice, we have to save it. A lot of jobs. We don’t want to give our business to China, we don’t want to give our business to other people,” Trump told a pre-inauguration rally gathered at a Washington sports arena.
The US law allows for a 90-day delay of the ban if the White House can show progress toward a viable deal in which TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, sells its US subsidiary to non-Chinese buyers.
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