Teen, 19, ‘sets fire to congressman’s office’ after being outraged by TikTok ban – only for app to return hours later
A TEENAGER has been accused of setting fire to a Republican congressman’s office after being infuriated by TikTok going down, police say.
The 19-year-old, who has not been named, was arrested in Wisconsin – only hours before the platform’s service was restored.
TikTok went dark for around 170 million users in the US on January 19 following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling.
The nation’s top court upheld a law passed by Congress that banned the platform over national security fears.
Cops revealed the fire broke out at a strip mall in Fond du Lac, home to congressman Glenn Grothman’s office, at around 1am local time on Sunday.
Police quizzed the man who admitted the fire was started over the social media network ban.
He faces a charge of arson.
Grothman was one of the lawmakers who backed the TikTok ban.
But, he slammed the suspected arson attack.
He claimed the TikTok issue was secondary and warned there can’t be a situation where a lawmaker’s office is burned down because someone disagrees with their view, as reported by the ABC affiliate WISN-TV.
Grothman, who represents Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district, was first elected in 2014 and revealed no staffers had been injured.
TikTok went down on Sunday morning following the Supreme Court’s verdict.
A note popped up on phone screens that said: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.
“Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok right now.
“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
Outgoing president Joe Biden confirmed he would leave the future of TikTok in the hands of his successor Donald Trump.
Trump will be sworn into office at noon today, January 20.
The TikTok ban left diehard fans in mourning.
Some took part in mock funerals depicting the death of the social media network in the US.
Meanwhile, others shared the scene from the movie Titanic where the band played Nearer My God to Thee – thought to be the last tune played before the ship went down.
How could Trump save TikTok
On January 17, 2025, the Supreme Court upheld a congressional bill banning TikTok in the United States
The ban went into force on January 19 and users received a message that the app was no longer available.
But, bosses urged fans to stay tuned.
Outgoing president Joe Biden refused to take any action when it came to enforcing the ban.
He said that the issue will be for the incoming administration.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to save the app.
There are several ways Trump could interfere and save TikTok momentarily.
- Trump could instruct the Department of Justice to ignore the law and not enforce it, while they work out a deal to separate TikTok from ByteDance, its Chinese-owned parent company.
- The president-elect could also sign an executive order pausing the ban for 60 to 90 days.
- Trump’s team have repeatedly said the president-elect has “expressed desire to save TikTok.”
- “President Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to save TikTok, and there’s no better dealmaker than Donald Trump,” a Trump spokesperson said.
APP RESTORED
But TikTok bosses started to restore the service on Sunday
Influencers were left thrilled that the app had been restored.
At his rally in Washington DC, Trump said he would work to save the app.
He revealed he will sign an executive order, providing him with time to find a solution.
“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump previously told NBC News it was likely he would give the social media giant a 90-day extension.
“We have to look at it carefully. It’s a very big situation,” he told the journalist Kristen Welker.
A TikTok extension is just one executive order Trump could sign when he is sworn in.
Trump has vowed to push through hundreds of executive actions.
He has promised to launch a sweeping deportation program and could even declare a national emergency at the southern border.
Trump has also promised to uncover a raft of documents relating to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and John F. Kennedy.
In his inaugural address, the tycoon will call for a “revolution of common sense,” per The Wall Street Journal.
“My message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization,” Trump will tell the nation according to the Journal.