Social media users say the short lived TikTok ban was just a ploy for President Donald Trump to get the glory for getting it back online.
The app went dark on Saturday evening as the deadline for its Chinese owners, ByteDance, to sell or face the ban loom edged closer, barring millions of dismayed American TikTok users from the app, which was also removed from their app stores.
However, services were restored yesterday after Trump said he would issue an executive order to give the app a reprieve when he takes office today.
Trump has also said he would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.
While ByteDance has previously refused to sell any of its stake, it is yet to respond to Trump’s proposal.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who was invited to Trump’s inauguration today, has meanwhile praised Trump for keeping the app alive.
The spanner in the works in this bizarre saga is that Trump was one of the loudest voices to get the platform banned in the US during his first term as President, citing national security concerns as reason.
He changed tune during his election campaign last year, saying a ban would boost the app’s rival, Facebook, which he held responsible, in part, for his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
Why is TikTok banned in the USA? Is it really about security, or is there something more to the story?
— zoon…🌙 (@TheRealZoon_) January 19, 2025
Donald Trump just stood on stage and said the election was stolen for him and that Elon Musk messed with the voting computers like only he could.
And if there was any question what happened with TikTok…
They just took this video down in 30 seconds for “integrity and… pic.twitter.com/qwOIusAzio
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) January 20, 2025
Trump: delete tik tok
Biden: deleted tik tok
Trump: 😡 I’m bringing back tik tok
Biden: we won’t enforce a thing. You deal
Tik Tok: 😭 (deletes self)
Trump: 😊 I will fix this day 1 as President
Tik Tok: Congrats on your inauguration! We are back (Sunday)
Trump: pic.twitter.com/M03coCvPr8
— Earl (@28delayslater) January 19, 2025
democrats gave an unimaginable w to trump by pulling this insanely incompetent and unpopular decision. can’t believe that trump who wanted ban tiktok initially is now getting the most expensive free ad by being credited as its savior to 170million americans. master class. pic.twitter.com/zGCUGKTISO
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) January 19, 2025
DDG believes Donald Trump intentionally got TikTok banned so he could take credit for unbanning it once in office, in order to boost his PR and win public support 💀 pic.twitter.com/Fb2yxh63bW
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) January 19, 2025
Prior to the lifting of the ban, many American TikTok content creators were having a meltdown over their possible loss of income, while thousands of others migrated to another Chinese social media app, RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu.
After the recent “cat tax” greeting, now the “TikTok refugees” have started learning to cook Chinese dishes on RedNote. Chinese netizens provided steamed egg tutorial videos with English subtitles, and after learning, Americans are submitting their “homework”.#RedNote #tiktokban pic.twitter.com/s46XggRme2
— Melody (@Melodyddd161616) January 18, 2025
the only good thing that came out of the tiktok ban is RedNote.
— shiawase 🍉 (@friedratankles) January 20, 2025
im better off on rednote
— क्रिस्टा (@CanYaSayChrista) January 20, 2025
Written by: Nonhlanhla Harris
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