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TikTok
A 2024 law forced ByteDance to sell or face a ban. TikTok went dark for about 14 hours in January 2025, then a mostly US-owned joint venture took over US operations on 22 January 2026.
- Status
- Ban lifted
- Country
- USA
- Category
- Apps & Websites
- Banned
- 2025-01-19
- Last checked
- 29/10/2026
TikTok is not banned in the United States today, but for a few hours it was. A federal law ordered its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the US business or see the app shut out of American app stores and hosting services. The app went dark for about 14 hours in January 2025, and the fight only ended a year later with a new, mostly American-owned company.
The divest-or-ban law
In April 2024, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Lawmakers argued that ByteDance’s Chinese ownership put American user data and the app’s recommendation system at risk. The law gave ByteDance until 19 January 2025 to sell, or companies in the US would no longer be allowed to distribute, host or update TikTok.
TikTok challenged the law on free-speech grounds and lost. On 17 January 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld it in TikTok Inc. v. Garland.
The 14-hour blackout
Shortly before 10:30 pm on 18 January 2025, TikTok went offline for its more than 170 million US users. It began coming back the next day after Donald Trump, about to be sworn in, promised to delay enforcement. On 20 January he signed an executive order pausing the ban, and later orders extended that pause while a deal was negotiated.
| When | TikTok in the US |
|---|---|
| April 2024 | Divest-or-ban law signed |
| 17 January 2025 | Supreme Court upholds the law |
| 18-19 January 2025 | App goes dark for about 14 hours |
| 20 January 2025 | Executive order pauses enforcement |
| September 2025 | White House announces a framework deal |
| 22 January 2026 | US joint venture deal closes |
Who owns TikTok in the US now?
On 22 January 2026, control of TikTok’s US operations passed to TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX each hold 15%, affiliates of existing ByteDance investors hold 30.1%, and ByteDance keeps 19.9%, according to an internal memo reported by ABC News. Oracle acts as the trusted security partner for US user data, and the venture licenses ByteDance’s algorithm while retraining it on US data. Advertising and e-commerce stay with ByteDance.
A US ban that never fully happened
That makes the US case very different from countries that kept TikTok out for good, such as India since 2020 and Iran since 2019. Washington’s concern about Chinese technology is not new, though: it also restricts new Huawei and ZTE equipment. See all apps banned or restricted in the USA.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TikTok banned in the US?
No. A 2024 law threatened a ban unless ByteDance sold TikTok's US business, and the app went dark for about 14 hours in January 2025. Enforcement was paused by executive order, and on 22 January 2026 a mostly American-owned joint venture took control of TikTok's US operations.
Why did the US try to ban TikTok?
Lawmakers argued that ByteDance's Chinese ownership could let the Chinese government access American user data or influence what users see. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed in April 2024, required ByteDance to sell TikTok's US business or face removal from US app stores.
When did TikTok go dark in the US?
TikTok went offline for US users shortly before 10:30 pm on 18 January 2025, one day after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the divest-or-ban law. Service began returning the next day, about 14 hours later, after Donald Trump promised to delay enforcement.
Who owns TikTok in the US now?
Since 22 January 2026, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC has run TikTok's US operations. Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX each hold 15%, affiliates of existing ByteDance investors hold 30.1%, and ByteDance keeps 19.9%. Oracle oversees the security of US user data.
Does ByteDance still control TikTok in the US?
Not operationally. ByteDance keeps a 19.9% stake and licenses its recommendation algorithm, which the joint venture is retraining on US data. The joint venture handles US data security, the algorithm and content moderation, while advertising, e-commerce and marketing remain with ByteDance's own business.
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