Just a day ago, TikTok faced a ban in the US that prevented the service from over 170 million users. But within a day of the ban, this restriction has been lifted in the region. The company just shared the announcement on X (formerly Twitter) and showed its gratitude to US President Donald Trump.

TikTok Ban Lifted in the US

In a tweet, the social media giant shared an official statement where it thanked President Trump for helping TikTok in resuming its service to over 170 million American users. The company shared that the government provided the necessary clarity and assurance of no penalties being levied on TikTok for continuing its operation in the region. This would even allow over 7 million small businesses to also resume their operations via the short video sharing platform.

TikTok further added that this is 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”. For those unaware, the US Supreme Court enforced a ban on the app if it failed to divest the app by 19th January 2025. The move sparked criticism from many as they argued that it violated free speech and undermined democratic values.

Donald Trump was basically the last lifeline for the company and it seems that the negotiations have gone in favor of TikTok. TikTok services officially began around 12 MP ET on Sunday, with a message on the app stating “Welcome Back!” while also crediting Trump for restoring service. There are no other updates regarding ByteDance linked apps like CapCut and Marvel Snap, so stay tuned for more updates.

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New York City has banned the use of TikTok on devices owned by the city, citing security worries. The city’s cybersecurity department evaluated the situation and determined that using TikTok could potentially harm the security of its technology network.

NYC Enforces TikTok Ban on Government Devices for Security

As of the directive’s issuance, immediate effect is given to the prohibition, forbidding city employees from downloading, utilizing, or accessing TikTok’s websites on any devices owned by the city.

In a statement to The Verge, a representative of the New York City government emphasized the importance of secure social media use for the city’s populace and acknowledged the consistent efforts of the NYC Cyber Command to safeguard the data of its residents. The directive aligns with guidance provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, which had previously curtailed TikTok’s usage on government devices. Moreover, recent federal legislation further supports the city’s stance against the application.

The concern stems from the app’s connection to Chinese tech giant ByteDance, raising worries that the app might facilitate data collection for potential surveillance purposes. Additionally, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is facing a lawsuit for collecting sensitive data, including face scans, through its app CapCut. These fears have led multiple U.S. states to limit TikTok’s usage on government-owned devices, and Montana notably went a step further by enacting a statewide ban.

TikTok has been partially or completely banned in the following countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, India, and New Zealand. In the Netherlands, although not an outright ban, officials are recommended to avoid using it. Additionally, Norway has banned TikTok on governmental devices while allowing civil servants to use it on their personal devices for professional purposes.

New York City’s decision underscores the ongoing debate surrounding TikTok’s safety and its links to Chinese technology companies. While TikTok has maintained its commitment to user privacy and security, its association with ByteDance, coupled with concerns about potential Chinese government influence, has prompted widespread action to mitigate risks associated with the app’s use on government devices.

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(Via)

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Last month, a new US Government was formed with Joe Biden as the President. Right from the day of assuming Office, Biden has been overturning Trump’s measures like bringing the US back into the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement. Among the others, he was also expected to look into the TikTok US Operations issue. Now, a report by WSJ says that the talks have been shelved indefinitely.

According to the report(Via Reuters), plans to redirect TikTok’s U.S Operations over to Walmart and Oracle have been pushed back. Apparently, the reason is because the issue concerning potential security threats will now be reviewed by the new President Biden.

Back in 2020, the US Govt under Trump said that TikTok poses a security threat as he feared data of American Citizens collected by ByteDance would be obtained by the Chinese Govt. The company, however, has been denying this and the involvement of the Chinese Govt in its operations, from the beginning.

This came months after the Indian Govt banned TikTok citing Data Threat and security concerns back in June 2020. Later, TikTok entered into a legal battle with the US and got a Stay on ban from Commerce Department following a court order.

The US Govt has been mulling either to sell its US Operations(incl. Assets) from ByteDance to an American company or get banned. Accordingly, companies like Walmart and Oracle have been in talks to secure the deal.

Despite getting banned in few regions, TikTok topped the Charts in the middle of 2020, and Overall 2nd recently in January 2021 courtesy of the Sensor Tower report.

In India though, the company has been completely banned country-wide and has reduced the employee count as a result. Let’s just hope that ByteDance finds a way to steer through hurdles in its top markets like the US and India soon.

RELATED:

• TikTok now warns users when a video containing unverified information is being shared
• TikTok is now officially available for Android TV
• TikTok’s parent company ByteDance launches Douyin Pay, a mobile payment service

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Chinese authorities have removed Tripadvisor (TRIP) from mobile app stores in the country. In a statement Tuesday, the Cyberspace Administration of China announced the removal of 105 apps that are considered as being “illegal,” including TripAdvisor, the US travel firm.

Most of the platforms shut down belonged to local Chinese firms, and it is yet unclear why Tripadvisor was caught in the crackdown. The Massachusetts-based company has not released any statement yet on the matter.

The industry regulator said (via) the apps that were removed were the first of many that would be taken down in a wide-ranging “clean-up” of online content that started in November 2020.

The campaign is aimed at wiping out content related to illegal activity, like obscenity, pornography, prostitution, violence, fraud or gambling. The regulator said it will continue to strengthen its supervisory and monitoring processes on mobile apps’ information services, promptly clean up and dispose of illegal mobile applications and application stores, and strive to create clear cyberspace.

Chinese internet users have been behind the so-called “Great Firewall” for several years. Facebook and Twitter have long been blocked in the country, while the United States and China have had several skirmishes over technology and commerce from both sides.
Recently, for example, the outgoing US government of Donald Trump had threatened to ban TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

China is known for taking a hard line on the restriction of online content that may be damaging to the populace, even if such content is found in homegrown and popular platforms. In 2018, cyberspace regulators shut Toutiao – a news aggregation app that was ByteDance’s biggest hit at the time, because of obscene and vulgar content on its feeds.
That same year, China also blocked popular hotel group Marriott’s app and website for a week after the company was found to have listed Hong Kong and Macao as individual “countries” on its platforms, at variance with the one-China policy.

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