US TikTok Users Are Relieved, Apps Are Back In Operation Thanks To Trump's Intervention

President Donald Trump saved TikTok for 90 days. (photo: @BrosManney)

JAKARTA On Saturday night, January 18, millions of TikTok users in the United States who open their apps to surf at night encounter unwanted notifications: their loved ones have been banned and disabled.

However, the ban only lasted less than 24 hours. On Sunday, January 19, TikTok resumed operations after US President Elect Donald Trump, who returned to office Monday, January 20, stated that TikTok's access to the US would be restored. Even so, many users have started to imagine living without an app that has captivated nearly half of America's population.

After the app returned, some users were embarrassed to see their previous emotional farewell uploads. Some thanked Trump on social media platform X, while others wondered if TikTok would remain the same as before. We're back, but at what price? wrote a user on TikTok.

Trump's move to save TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is a reversal of his first term policy. In 2020, Trump sought to ban the short video app on the grounds of concerns that ByteDance could share American personal data with the Chinese government.

However, Trump has recently expressed his more positive views on TikTok. He even claimed that the app helped him attract young voters in the 2024 elections.

Trump stated that he would "expand time before the ban takes effect, so we can make an agreement to protect national security." Trump also said he wanted the United States to own 50% of its shares in a joint venture with ByteDance.

Despite the relief, some users are worried whether changes in the company's ownership structure will affect their experiences on TikTok.

"I remember when Elon bought Twitter and how it drastically changed the sentiment and the way people interact in the app. It worried me," said Kelly Sites, 38, a part-time content creator from Kansas City, Kansas, quoted by VOI from Reuters. I don't want the magic of the TikTok algorithm to change," he added.

The algorithm used by TikTok is considered the core of ByteDance operations, so that the sale of applications without the algorithm is considered very unlikely.

For some users, especially those who depend on TikTok, this incident leaves a sense of distrust in the government. I think this is a very sad time in history, said Richard Chuck Fasulo, 37, a mechanics and creator of automotive content from Duchess County, New York.

Fasulo shared that TikTok helped him get out of debt, doubled his earnings, and took his family on vacation for the first time last summer. "Many of us, including me, now don't believe in the US government," he said. Fasulo has about 400,000 followers on TikTok.

For others, relief is more important than anything else. I prefer political action than losing TikTok forever," said Charlotte Warren, 31, a content creator for relationships and dating from Austin, Texas.

Warren mengungkapkan bahwa tanpa TikTok, ia bisa kehilangan pendapatan hingga 60.000 dolar AS (Rp981 juta) per tahun, lebih dari 200.000 pengikut, dan tidak yakin akan tetap membuat konten di platform lain. Saya hanya ingin aplikasi saya kembali, pungkasnya.