As a result, searches and demand for VPNs in the US spiked significantly. The search term "VPN" rose significantly overnight from Saturday, 18 January, into Sunday, 19 January, 2025, but did see a sharp reduction throughout the day on Sunday.
TikTok said Sunday it's "restoring service" after a ban in the United States initially began to take effect earlier in the day. "In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service.
TikTok has restored service in the U.S. less than 24 hours after its nationwide shutdown. On Sunday, Jan. 19, TikTok announced on X, via an official statement shared to its policy account, that it is "in the process of restoring service" to Americans after going dark the night prior .
The app had more than 170 million monthly users in the U.S. The black-out is the result of a law forcing the service offline unless it sheds its ties to ByteDance, its China-based parent company.
TikTok says it’s “in the process” of restoring service to users in the United States after the popular video-sharing platform went dark in response to a new law.
TikTok was restored in the US this week after Donald Trump pledged to delay the app's banning on his first day in office. The Chinese social media giant thanked the incoming president for his ‘strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship’.