Scheduled to take office on Monday, Trump said he intends to sign an executive order postponing enforcement of the restriction, which came into force on Sunday unless TikTok’s parent company sold off the platform.
App restored after temporary cut-off
Late Saturday, TikTok briefly went offline in the U.S. to comply with the new law. However, in a statement on Sunday, the company told users that it was “back in the U.S.” following the president-elect’s decision to give the service more time to finalize an arrangement satisfactory to Washington’s security concerns.
Proposed 50-50 ownership
Trump posted on his Truth Social network that he wants the U.S. to secure a 50% ownership stake in TikTok through a joint venture with American investors, while the platform’s current owners—and possibly other stakeholders—retain the remaining half.
“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and allow it to stay up,” Trump wrote.
He emphasized his initial thought for a 50-50 split, noting that any entity assisting in preventing TikTok’s shutdown would be shielded from legal consequences under the proposed executive order.
National security concerns
The app’s Chinese ownership, ByteDance, has faced allegations of data-sharing ties with Beijing—concerns that American officials have used to justify potential bans. However, Trump indicated Sunday that the new arrangement would address these issues, ensuring that national security interests are protected while allowing TikTok to operate.
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Source: PAP