TikTok Briefly Shuts Down, Then Restored: A Presidential Order's Balancing Act

A US law banning TikTok went into effect on January 18th, causing the app to briefly go dark. Apple and Google also removed TikTok from their app stores. However, President-elect Trump issued an executive order pausing the ban, giving TikTok's parent company ByteDance more time to find an approved buyer. This move, following TikTok's service restoration, sparked widespread debate about national security, free speech, and the political influence of tech companies.