TikTok Resumes Operations in the United States – Trump Demands 50% Ownership?
Source: The Rakyat Post
TikTok users in the United States can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the popular app resumed operations on January 19. However, this decision comes with a major surprise – former President Donald Trump’s demand for the U.S. to own half of this famous app!
Trump, who had previously been one of the loudest voices calling for the ban of TikTok, has now changed his stance. He wants TikTok to remain in the U.S., but only if his demands are met. What exactly is going on behind this drama?
TikTok Returns After Controversial Ban
Just a day earlier, on January 18, TikTok was fully banned in the U.S., causing over 170 million users to lose access to the app. The decision was made under President Joe Biden’s administration after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that banning TikTok did not violate First Amendment rights.
However, things changed when TikTok announced on X (@TikTokPolicy) that the app was now active again. In the statement, they also thanked President Donald Trump for his efforts to save TikTok.
“We are grateful to President Trump for ensuring that our service was not penalized and allowing over 170 million Americans to enjoy TikTok once more,” the statement read.
Trump Wants U.S. to Own 50% of TikTok?
On Truth Social, Trump expressed his desire for the U.S. to own 50% of TikTok. He believes this would increase the app’s value to over a trillion dollars in the future.
“With this, we save TikTok and make it a more solid ownership,” Trump emphasized.
However, TikTok has yet to comment on Trump’s demand for partial ownership.
Laws Pressuring ByteDance
The TikTok ban began after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in March 2024, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s assets in the country. This move was seen as a response to accusations that the Chinese Communist Party was using the app to manipulate Americans.TikTok, however, denies any connection to the Chinese government and insists that U.S. user data is stored under independent oversight within the country.
