SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – After an overnight breakup, it looks like TikTok and the United States are back together, at least for now.
“I am really interested to see what will happen. I mean, my kids today feel like they just had a friend that moved away,” Mike Kelly of South Burlington said.
A universal reaction across the country after social media app TikTok went dark Saturday night. But by Sunday afternoon, the algorithm ticked on again.
“I checked it around 1 o’clock, I was like shocked when I saw it open. Like that is so weird, it was just banned a few hours ago,” Mak Jimenez of Burlington said.
On January 17, the supreme court unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday the 19.
The court was concerned that China, through the app and its parent company, could collect a vast amount of information from American users.
But as of 2 o’clock on Sunday, TikTok was back on, the app claiming “as a result of president Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.”
“I mean I worry about the national security risks associated with it. Also the free speech element of it, too is really interesting to me. I can understand why both sides have arguments with merit,” Kelly said.
President-elect Donald Trump says he plans to pause the ban by passing an executive order his first day in office.
He says he plans to issue the order to give the app’s China-based parent company more time to find an approved buyer before the ban takes full effect.
Many are glad they can keep scrolling for now.
“I thought it was stupid, but it did not surprise me, but it also did not surprise me that it came back too. I’m hoping it will stay on. I just think it is a lot of fun. You know, entertainment. Sometimes I learn different things on it too,” Kristilynne Goodwin of Colchester said.