TikTok is back online for 170 million American users. The company restored service following President Donald Trump’s promise not to enforce a law banning the app.
The Chinese-owned social media app went dark Sunday morning to comply with a bipartisan law banning it since it did not sell to an American buyer. However, even with a reprieve from President Trump, TikTok faces a threat from Trump’s Republican allies in the Senate.
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Top Republican senators, including Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rick Scott of Florida, met yesterday as they prepared to take a hard line against Chinese ownership of TikTok, according to reporting by Fox Business.
Cotton objected over the weekend to block the advancement of a Democratic-led bill to undo the TikTok ban before it took effect.
In a statement published Sunday, Cotton said, “Now that the law has taken effect, there’s no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date.”
His colleague Sen. Graham also accused TikTok of having what he called a “golden share structure.” Graham alleges Chinese President Xi Jinping controlled the company. He said he would introduce a bill blocking any company with this structure from being listed on U.S. exchanges.
It puts both of them on the opposite side of the issue, compared to President Trump, who addressed it at a pre-election rally on Sunday.
“As of today, TikTok is back,” Trump said at a rally on Sunday, January 19th. “The United States will do what we call a joint venture. And there’s no risk. We’re not putting up any money. All we’re doing is giving them the approval without which they don’t have anything.”
The law banning TikTok allowed a president to issue one 90-day extension if there was a buyer. The Justice Department certified one bid, a $20 billion offer led by businessmen Frank McCourt and Kevin O’Leary.
It’s unclear whether TikTok is interested in selling to them or any other buyer. It’s also unclear what the app’s future looks like after the 90-day window.
