Social media expert Ariadna Jacob discusses how TikTok users are turning to a Chinese app, ‘Rednote,’ in response to the ruling on ‘The Bottom Line.’
President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday promised to issue an executive order on Monday to extend TikTok operations in the United States on Inauguration Day.Â
Trump wrote on TRUTH Social that he is “asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!”Â
“I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” the president-elect continued. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
“Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Trump said.
TIKTOK SHOUTS OUT TRUMP AS APP GOES DARK FOR MILLIONS OF USERS ACROSS US
President-elect Donald Trump, Melania Trump and their son Barron board a U.S. Air Force aircraft en route to Dulles, Virginia on Jan.18, 2025 in West Palm Beach. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Trump is expected to be sworn in around noon ET Monday at the U.S. Capitol, officially taking office as the 47th president.Â
His Sunday post did not clarify how soon the extension would take effect or specify how long it would last.Â
As for the proposed national security deal, Trump said he would like “the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.”Â
“By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to [stay] up. Without U.S. approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions,” Trump wrote. “Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.”Â
The TikTok app was not available on Apple and Google’s app stores by 10:50 p.m. EST, as the stores are prohibited from offering the app under a bipartisan law signed by President Biden last spring that required TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform by Sunday or face a U.S. ban. Internet hosting services are also banned from offering the service to American users.
A TikTok ban message appears on a mobile screen with the TikTok logo on a tablet screen in this photo illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 19, 2025. (Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
PRIVACY GROUPS, EXPERTS, PARENTS LAUD SCOTUS TIKTOK BAN WHILE OTHERS SLAM DECISION AS ‘ANTI-DEMOCRATIC’
Users who tried to utilize the app on Saturday night received the following message: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.”Â
The app gave a shout-out to Trump, saying: “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!”
Earlier Sunday, Trump issued a two-word message on TRUTH Social: “SAVE TIKTOK!”
The U.S. Capitol is shown at sunrise the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s 2nd term inauguration Jan. 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
ByteDance had nine months to sell TikTok to an approved buyer but opted, along with TikTok, to take legal action against the law.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law, citing national security risks because of its ties to China, Fox News Digital reported.
Trump previously said he needed to “review” the ban before making a decision, and that he would “most likely” give TikTok a 90-day extension from the Jan. 19 deadline after he takes office.
The law allows the sitting president to extend the deadline by 90 days if a sale is in progress, although ByteDance has previously said it would not sell TikTok.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew thanked Trump in a video on Friday for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States. This is a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship.”
FOX Business’ Alexandra Koch, Bradford Betz, Landon Mion, Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.