Donald Trump Offers TikTok Solution Ahead of Monday’s U.S. Ban

Since Sunday, January 19, 2025, TikTok has been blocked in the United States. However, there's a possibility that the social network might make a swift comeback. What could facilitate its rapid return?

A Dramatic Turn for TikTok

As of Sunday, January 19, 2025, the popular social network TikTok has been disconnected from its nearly 170 million American users due to a law passed by Congress the previous year, rendering the short video app inaccessible in the U.S.

Hope for a Comeback

However, this ban might be short-lived. President-elect Donald Trump has declared his intention to sign an executive order to lift the ban upon taking office. He also suggested that TikTok’s ownership should be equally shared with American stakeholders.

In response, TikTok expressed its readiness to restore access to its app and thanked Donald Trump. The president-elect urged internet providers and app stores to immediately reinstate access to the app, promising that his executive order would retroactively protect them from potential penalties.

An Alternative to the Ban

The law provides TikTok’s parent company, Chinese firm ByteDance, with an alternative to avoid a total ban: a 90-day delay to find a buyer. However, ByteDance has so far declined to sell the platform, which it launched just ten years ago.

A Solution Proposed by Donald Trump

Furthermore, Donald Trump has proposed a solution to address the issue of Chinese control over TikTok in the U.S. “I would like to see a joint company controlled 50% by Americans,” the president-elect stated. “Without an American agreement, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it could be worth hundreds of billions, if not trillions.”