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Social media questions Trump’s motives for ‘saving’ Tik Tok

todayJanuary 20, 2025 31

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Photo Credit: AFP

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.

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.

Written by: Nonhlanhla Harris

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