Local Memo: After Brief Downtime, TikTok Restores Service to U.S. Users

In this week’s update, learn about TikTok’s survival past the ban deadline; how AI usage is growing globally; and how bad actors take down negative reviews. 

After Brief Downtime, TikTok Restores Service to U.S. Users

The News

In a dramatic series of events, TikTok went offline for U.S. users on the evening of Saturday, January 18, just hours before the deadline stipulated by a 2024 law went into effect on Sunday. Sixteen hours later, on the morning of January 19, service was restored by Oracle, which manages TikTok’s servers. Messages posted by TikTok, when the app went offline and when service was restored, referenced that the company was working with incoming President Trump to ensure TikTok’s U.S. presence would be protected in the long term.

Indeed, Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office, Monday January 20, extending the ban deadline by 75 days. However, TikTok has been removed from both Apple’s and Google’s app stores, and this removal remains in effect, meaning that although U.S. users can continue to access the app, no new users can download it. Apple’s support documentation also states that in-app purchases and subscriptions will not function during this period. All apps owned by ByteDance, including CapCut, Marvel Snap, and others, are currently impacted.

The executive order states that the extension of the ban deadline is intended to provide “an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward.” The legality of the order has been questioned by legal experts, perhaps helping to explain why Apple and Google have taken a different course than Oracle and ByteDance in choosing to align with the law as opposed to the order. Trump has stated that he hopes a deal can be worked out that will give “the United States” – presumably meaning a private U.S. entity – a “50% ownership position in a joint venture.”

TikTok went offline for me at 8:20pm Pacific Time on Saturday, January 18

What This Means

For now, TikTok is back for the 170 million Americans who are already active users. However, the future remains highly uncertain. ByteDance has still not indicated a willingness to divest any portion of TikTok’s U.S. ownership. The legality of the executive order that revived the app may come under further scrutiny. And while TikTok’s removal from the Apple and Google app stores continues, usership cannot grow, those who delete the app cannot reinstall it, and some app functions may be unavailable, though TikTok Shop purchases appear to be unaffected.

Google Study Tracks Growth of AI Adoption Globally

The News

A newly published Google-Ipsos survey finds that AI usage continues to grow globally, though growth is, somewhat surprisingly, stronger in countries outside the U.S. and Canada. Whereas 48% of respondents across the globe reported that they’ve used AI tools in the past year, that number drops to just 29% for the U.S. and Canada. Adoption rates are stronger in Europe, in the Asia-Pacific, and in emerging nations. 

Some 57% of respondents are “excited” about the promise of AI, compared with 43% who describe themselves as “concerned.” The gender gap amongst AI users is stark, with 55% of men saying they’ve used AI tools compared to just 45% of women. Respondents in countries such as South Africa and Nigeria are more likely to think AI will have a positive economic impact on their countries than respondents in the U.S., who are overall more cautious. Some 53% of U.S. respondents say AI innovation should be a priority.

Courtesy Google-Ipsos

What This Means

It’s important for marketers to remember that, although U.S. consumers are generally aware of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, only a minority have actually used them, and a significant number of people feel some level of concern about their implications. The use of AI in marketing and other areas of business should be accompanied by transparent communication and focused on improving value for the customer.

How Bad Actors Remove Negative Reviews

The News

There’s an active market for services that promise to get negative reviews removed from Google and other sites, even though the practices these services engage in are shady and, in many cases, deceptive. An investigation by Joy Hawkins reveals that one method used by such companies is to file a bogus copyright infringement claim with Google, citing content on a page they want taken down. This practice exploits the fact that Google’s response is often automated, so the claim can be clearly unwarranted and may still get approved, causing traffic to the page to plummet and thus making the negative content invisible in search. 

What This Means

It should be obvious that quick-fix reputation management strategies that violate basic ethical principles should be avoided. Businesses may panic about the impact of poor reviews, but the only truly effective way to deal with these is to respond thoughtfully and, if warranted, to make improvements to your business.