TikTok Restores Service in the U.S. Despite Law, App Announces

TikTok is “restoring service” to users in the United States following a brief ‘blackout,’ the app announced on Sunday, January 19 via a statement shared on social media. “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.”

“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” the statement continued. “It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”

On Friday, January 17 the Supreme Court issued an unanimous ruling to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which banned the app nationwide.

“I join all but Part II.A of the Court’s per curiam opinion. I see no reason to assume without deciding that the Act implicates the First Amendment because our precedent leaves no doubt that it does,” wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayer in her judgment. “TikTok engages in expressive activity by ‘compiling and curating’ material on its platform.”

The app stopped working for users in the United States a few hours before midnight on Saturday, January 18. Prior to and in the few hours during the black out, numerous celebrities spoke out about the ban. 

Singer Kesha jokingly reminded her followers that her hit 2010 single “Tik Tok” would always be available for them no matter what happened to the app by the same name. In a video shared via Instagram on Saturday, January 18, the singer wore a black hoodie and closed her eyes while part of her 2010 hit song played. Over the video, she wrote, “TikTok may be temporary, but TiK ToK is forever,” adding both a peace sign and black heart emoji. The song was an instant hit when it debuted, spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Kylie Kelce also commented on the looming ban. “There’s something that’s been weighing on me heavily over the past few days,” Kelce said on the January 16 episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. “It looks like my favorite app, TikTok, might actually be going away for good. Hopefully, it doesn’t, and I can doom-scroll until the end of time. But, just in case, I want to properly pour one out for TikTok.”

“I think everyone loses,” Marc D’Amelio said in ABC News Studios’ IMPACT x Nightline special from May 2024. “I think small business loses. I think the politicians lose also.”

Marc and his wife, Heidi D’Amelio, are the parents to social media mavens Dixie and Charli, whose online dances went viral in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We didn’t call ourselves the first family of TikTok,” Marc, 56, added in the ABC News special. “It’s hard to believe that many people sat and watched a video. I think the ability to turn someone who’s obscure into an overnight, famous person, I don’t think there’s any other platform like that.”