TikTok restores US service

TikTok announced it is restoring its service following President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to reinstate the app's access in the US upon taking office on Monday.

The statement came after US users reported being able to access the Chinese-owned service's website while the far more widely used TikTok app itself did not appear to be immediately available, News.Az citing the RNZ.

"In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service," TikTok said in a statement that thanked Trump for "providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties (for) providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive."

TikTok stopped working for its 170 million American users late on Saturday (local time) before a law shutting it down on national security grounds took effect on Sunday. US officials had warned that under Chinese parent company ByteDance, there was a risk of Americans' data being misused.

Trump said he would "extend the period of time before the law's prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security".

"I would like the United States to have a 50 percent ownership position in a joint venture," he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said the executive order would specify there would be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before his order.

News.Az