After President Donald Trump on Friday night announced during a flight aboard Air Force One that “as far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” TikTok replied with "We’re Not Planning on Going Anywhere."
Rumors have swirled that Trump wanted to ban TikTok from the United States since before Friday morning. The president reportedly wanted the Chinese social media company to divest its holdings in the United States.
By Friday night, the president said he would be signing an order to ban the company from the United States as soon as Saturday.
TikTok responded on Saturday morning with a TikTok video message from U.S. general manager Vanessa Pappas, telling the world, “we’re not planning on going anywhere.”
“I want to say thank you to the millions of Americans who use TikTok every day bringing their creativity and joy into our daily lives. We’ve heard your outpouring of support, and we want to say thank you, we’re not planning on going anywhere,” Pappas said in a TikTok video.
Pappas also talked about the company's impact on the economy and employment, saying that regarding security, “we’re building the safest app because we know it’s the right thing to do.”
TikTok has hired nearly 1,000 people in the United States in 2020 and plans to employ another 10,000 into "great paying jobs" throughout the country, a spokeswoman wrote in a statement. The company also launched a $1 billion creator fund which supports people who use TikTok to make a living.
“We appreciate the support,” Pappas added. “We’re here for the long run, and continue to share your voice here and let’s stand for TikTok.”