TikTok has made a dramatic return to the US after going dark for just one day.

The popular social media app went dark in the US yesterday as courts decided on Friday that a proposed ban should go ahead after the parent company Byte Dance failed to sell the social platform.

Late yesterday evening, however, TikTok posted a statement confirming its services are being restored in America after President-Elect Donald Trump vowed to try to pause the ban on his first day back in office.

American TikTok users were faced with this message when they opened the app yesterday. Image: Newstalk/Sean Defoe. 20/1/2025

Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joined Newstalk Breakfast to explain what might happen next.

“This all started when Joe Biden said that the company had to be sold to an American owner because there were concerns around spying, or the Chinese government getting access to user information, or manipulating users on the platform,” she said.

“The deadline for it was yesterday, and as we know, by Saturday evening, users in America said that the platform was going dark for them, you couldn’t download it from the App Store.

“However, on Friday, Joe Biden indicated that he was not going to take any further steps; he was going to basically hand it over to the next administration."

The app has since returned its services to the US in the hopes that a solution will be found under the incoming Trump administration.

Trump has said that he would consider an option where an American company would buy 50% of the company, with the other 50% remaining under the ownership of Byte Dance.

Elon Musk has already put his name forward as a potential buyer.

Elon Musk rests his chin on his hand, © Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Jess said this purchase is a very real possibility – despite fears it may infringe on competition laws.

“The rules have kind of gone out the window,” she said.

“I think one thing that’s been interesting is that Donald Trump indicated on one of the platforms that he’d be interested in looking at a 50/50 venture, so whereby an American company comes on board and has a 50% stake in it.

“The story isn’t going to go away, and there are concerns – but we do know that the chief executive of TikTok is said to have an excellent seat at the inauguration of Donald Trump today; there have been meetings taking place.

“So, this is not just about TikTok, this is a greater story about American dealings with China and Chinese businesses.”

According to Jess, the immediate overturning of a ban put in place by a federal court is “not a great look”.

Main image: Split image of the TikTok logo (L) and Jess Kelly in the Newstalk studio (R).