Good news for TikTok fans in the US—your favourite app is back!
Over the weekend, TikTok stopped working for millions of users after a law banning it came into effect on January 19. However, President Donald Trump announced he would pause the ban when he officially starts his job as president on Monday, allowing the app to return to American phones.
Why Was TikTok Banned?
The US government has long been concerned about TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which is based in China. Politicians worry that the app might share US users’ data with the Chinese government. ByteDance has denied this claim, but the US Supreme Court allowed a law banning TikTok to go into effect unless ByteDance sells the app to a US company.
ByteDance challenged the decision, but their appeal was rejected. As a result, the app was briefly banned—until President Trump stepped in to temporarily pause the restrictions.
How Popular is TikTok?
With over a billion monthly users worldwide, TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps on the planet. People use it to share funny videos, try out new dance crazes, create songs, and even report the news! No wonder a ban caused such an uproar in the US.
Will TikTok Be Banned in New Zealand?
Nope! What happens in the US doesn’t affect TikTok use in New Zealand. There’s no suggestion that the New Zealand government is considering a similar ban. So, TikTok fans in Aotearoa can continue scrolling, posting, and dancing to their heart’s content.
For now, it looks like TikTok’s story in the US isn’t over yet. Will it stay online for good? Stay tuned!
