Trump to issue order reviving TikTok, wants US to have 50% ownership of app

President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday announced that he would restore access to China-based video-sharing app TikTok in the United States through an executive order after taking office, on the condition that at least 50 per cent of the social media platform is owned by American investors.

Trump’s announcement came hours after Google and Apple removed the Chinese app, currently owned by ByteDance, from its digital stores following a US Supreme Court order upholding a federal law that required the firm to sell its operation to an approved American buyer.

Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said he would “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security”.

“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up,” added Trump, who will take oath as 47th US President tomorrow.

The President-elect also said that his executive order would specify there would be “no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before his order”.

The United States federal law mandated ByteDance to sever its ties with TikTok’s US operations by Sunday, citing national security risks linked to the app’s Chinese ownership. The legislation, passed in April last year with massive bipartisan backing, was signed by outgoing President Joe Biden. In response, ByteDance challenged the US law, but the Supreme Court rejected its plea, stating that the law does not infringe upon the First Amendment’s protection against government restrictions on free speech.

As of Saturday night, TikTok users in the US were unable to watch or post videos on the platform. Upon opening the app, a pop-up message informed users: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US”. Another message stated: “Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now”.

TikTok, already banned in India for similar reasons, is one of the most prominent social media platforms in America with around 270 million user base. The figure represents nearly half of the US population, with a large portion comprising younger users.