[A photo representing the social media platform TikTok. Photo Credit to Nordskovmedia]

Newly inaugurated President Donald Trump has temporarily halted the nationwide TikTok ban merely 12 hours after it took effect on January 18th, 2025.

The popular social media platform, which serves over 170 million users in the United States, had briefly ceased operations following a Supreme Court decision upholding the congressional ban.

Through an executive order, Trump directed the Attorney General “not to take any action on behalf of the United States to enforce the Act for 75 days from the date of this order, to permit my Administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok."

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew quickly responded in a video message, stating, “On behalf of everyone at TikTok and all our users across the country, I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the United States.”

Back in April of 2024, the Senate passed the bill citing national security concerns because of TikTok’s ties to the People’s Republic of China, which was swiftly signed into law by the Biden administration.

The law mandated that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, sell the platform to a “third party” within 270 days, citing national security concerns regarding China’s influence. 

The implementation of the ban was met with widespread opposition.

Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s vice president of public policy, emphasized constitutional concerns, saying, “Thankfully, we have a Constitution in this country, and people’s First Amendment rights are very important.”

Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court rejected TikTok’s challenge claiming free speech violations.

Public resistance to the ban can be traced back to February 2024 when Senators faced criticism for their “out-of-touch” questioning during a hearing with CEO Chew.

This sentiment continued as users expressed their discontent across various social media platforms when the ban took effect.

While services have resumed, the 75-day suspension merely postpones a final decision on TikTok’s fate in the United States.

ByteDance has shown reluctance to sell the platform, and potential buyers for the presumably expensive acquisition remain unclear.

The ban of TikTok happens at the center of societal and political tension with recent events such as the conviction of assassin Luigi Maglione and Elon Musk, the current owner of X, joining Trump’s cabinet.

The resolution of this issue could set a precedent for how the 2025 Trump administration handles relations with China.

As the situation continues to develop, it is uncertain what the TikTok ban will exactly come to be in the following days.