What Happened With Tiktok This Weekend? Here's Everything We Know, From A Shutdown To A New Bid

After nan Supreme Court decided to uphold nan TikTok prohibition connected Friday, nan app went acheronian successful nan U.S. connected Saturday nighttime for nan 170 cardinal Americans who usage it pinch nan message, "Sorry, TikTok isn't disposable correct now."

However, nan app was backmost by midday Sunday, though still unavailable connected app stores.

TikTok thanked President-elect Donald Trump for giving it nan "clarity" to return online pinch nary penalty.

TikTok's invited backmost connection for users read: "Thanks for your patience and support. As a consequence of President Trump's efforts, TikTok is backmost successful nan U.S.!"

Why Was TikTok Banned?

Congress passed a norm successful April 2024 called nan Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which gave TikTok until January 19 to abstracted from Beijing-based genitor institution ByteDance and beryllium sold to a non-Chinese institution aliases look a prohibition from U.S. app stores.

Lawmakers were concerned astir U.S. personification accusation making its measurement to nan Chinese authorities and TikTok spreading Chinese propaganda to nan American public.

Related: Here's How Long ByteDance Has to Sell, and Why TikTok Is Preparing for a Legal Battle

TikTok fought nan norm successful nan courts, arguing that it was unconstitutional and violated nan free reside guaranteed successful nan First Amendment. The societal media institution brought its connection earlier nan Supreme Court connected January 10, but was unsuccessful: The tribunal upheld nan TikTok prohibition connected Friday.

Why TikTok Is Back

The alteration arrived acknowledgment to a Sunday position from Trump connected Truth Social. Trump asked companies not to fto TikTok enactment acheronian and stated that he would rumor an executive bid connected Monday to lengthen nan clip TikTok has earlier nan law's restrictions return place.

The bid would guarantee location would beryllium "no liability for immoderate institution that helped support TikTok from going dark" earlier his executive order.

Trump too stated that he wants nan U.S. to personification 50% ownership of a associated task to ain TikTok.

"Therefore, my first thought is simply a associated task betwixt nan existent owners and/or caller owners whereby nan U.S. gets a 50% ownership successful a associated task group up betwixt nan U.S. and whichever acquisition we truthful choose," Trump wrote.

In a relationship provided to TechCrunch connected Sunday pursuing Trump's post, TikTok said that it was "in nan process of restoring service."

"We convey President Trump for providing nan basal clarity and assurance to our activity providers that they will look nary penalties providing TikTok to complete 170 cardinal Americans and allowing complete 7 cardinal mini businesses to thrive," nan relationship read.

Another Possible Buyer Emerges

TikTok has already received galore bids (official and not) for nan platform.

Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary joined forces pinch billionaire and erstwhile L.A. Dodgers proprietor Frank McCourt successful a $20 cardinal bid to bargain nan platform. Trump stated connected Sunday that he wants nan U.S. to ain half of TikTok. There were too reports that Chinese officials talked astir trading TikTok to Elon Musk, which TikTok called "pure fiction."

Now, reports emerged that AI hunt centrifugal startup Perplexity AI submitted a bid of astatine slightest $50 cardinal to ByteDance connected Saturday to create a caller merged entity consisting of TikTok U.S., Perplexity, and its partners, per CNBC.

The merger would adhd overmuch videos to Perplexity and fto ByteDance investors to support their equity stakes.

ByteDance has antecedently indicated that it would not discarded TikTok, truthful Perplexity believes it has a chance pinch a merger alternatively than a sale.

Related: 'I Am Open to Investing': Mark Cuban Announces Open Call for 'Anyone' Who Can Build a TikTok Alternative