Influencers are overjoyed after TikTok went back online following a short-lived blackout across America.
The video-sharing platform, TikTok, resumed service on Sunday after a brief outage following President Donald Trump’s plans to lift the ban on the app.
Users began regaining access to TikTok, initially experiencing limited functionality, as the platform worked on restoring full service.
Following the temporary ban, influencers who had expressed distress over the situation quickly pivoted to celebrating as TikTok started coming back online gradually and they could resume posting content.
‘OMG IS THIS REAL GUYS??? I’m so happy,’ lifestyle creator Danielle Phe wrote.
She followed up with a dancing video saying ‘I guess I can cancel that interview tomorrow’ as her source of income was restored.
Alix Earle, who is known as TikTok’s ‘it girl’ thanks to the popularity of her ‘Get Ready With Me’ confessional videos, was among the first to post a video.
‘You’re telling me that I just spend the last two days crying on here, and now the app is back?’ the 24-year-old told her 7.2 million followers after the ban was lifted. ‘All I’m going to say is, thank god I didn’t post the last thing I had in the drafts.’
Earle previously filmed herself breaking down in tears over the possibility of the app which propelled her to fame being shut down.
Another influencer, Emily Senn, posted a sheepish video of herself admitting she had ‘completely crashed out’ about TikTok ‘going away’ only to return 16 hours later.
Some filmed themselves having an existential crisis over the quick u-turn on the ban.
‘Did we all freak out for nothing?’ TikTok creator Madilynn Cameron said. ‘Was this, like, a prank? What is happening? Can you see this? Can you see me? Am I real?’
Others posted triumphant videos of themselves beaming with friends while doing celebratory dances.
‘Testing, one, two three. My app just started working. Will this video post?’ influencer Sasha Mixon told her 1.4 million followers in her first video back.
Content creator Halley Kate also filmed herself screaming and jumping around as she celebrated not having to find a job.
TikTok has confirmed it’s working to restore the app. ‘TikTok is in the process of restoring service,’ the company’s statement read on Sunday.
‘We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over seven million small businesses to thrive.’
‘It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.’
The exact number of users who have regained access so far is unclear. There are 170 million Americans on the app overall, and they all lost access after the Supreme Court approved a nationwide ban early on Sunday.
Scott Sutton, CEO of Later Media, confirmed the partial restoration on X (formerly Twitter). ‘TikTok is back up and working on desktop! Seems services are slowly coming back online,’ he wrote.
Minutes later, Sutton noted the limitation of the app.
‘TikTok app access is back, but no content other than mine loading, and all engagement history on posts is missing,’ he said.
Trump responded to the ban by saying he would sign an executive order on Monday to delay it.
The ban came after Congress passed legislation requiring Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell its stakes by January 19, 2025.
With no deal materializing, the platform’s fate now hangs in the balance.
The Supreme Court’s ruling affirmed that the ban does not violate users’ First Amendment rights.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he wanted Americans to see his inauguration on Monday via TikTok as he made a case for the ban to be lifted.
‘I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!’ Trump wrote on Sunday.
‘I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.
‘The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.
‘Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations.
‘I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up.
‘Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions.
‘Therefore, my initial thought is a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership in a joint venture set up between the U.S. and whichever purchase we so choose.’
