On January 19, 2023, TikTok temporarily became unavailable in the United States due to compliance with a divest-or-ban law targeting its parent company, ByteDance. Following this brief suspension, the app was restored on major platforms, including the App Store and Google Play, amid ongoing negotiations between the United States and China. During this period, then-President Donald Trump signed a series of extensions that prevented officials from imposing penalties related to the law.
In mid-December 2023, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew informed employees that agreements had been signed to establish a joint venture featuring stakeholders such as Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. This joint venture is scheduled to finalize by January 22, 2026. According to Chew’s communication, this new structure is intended to enhance user data protection in the United States, improve the security of TikTok’s algorithm, and support content moderation efforts, along with overseeing the U.S. app and platform.
As these developments unfold, the implications for TikTok users and the broader landscape of social media regulation in the U.S. remain significant.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/23651507/tiktok-ban-us-news