Tiktok was made available on the US App Store by Apple and Google on Thursday after President Donald Trump postponed the ban on Chinese-owned social media apps. This ensured that the tech giants would not face fines for distributing or maintaining the app.
The popular short video app, used by nearly half of all Americans, faced a temporary ban last month. However, the ban was scheduled to take effect on January 19th due to national security concerns surrounding its Chinese ownership. The owners were asked to sell the app or risk being banned.
Following this, Trump signed an executive order the next day, delaying the enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing Tiktok to continue its operations in the US temporarily.
After receiving Trump’s assurance, Tiktok resumed its service, but Google and Apple continued to remove the app from the US App Store.
Tiktok, the second-most downloaded app in the US last year, announced on Thursday that the latest version of the app was now available for download.
Analysts speculate that there was a delay as Google and Apple were waiting for guarantees that they would not be penalized for hosting or distributing the app.
Trump’s order ensured that companies would not face fines for running the Tiktok app.
According to Market Intelligence Firm Sensor Tower, Tiktok was downloaded over 52 million times in 2024. The majority of downloads came from Apple’s App Store, with the rest from Google Play in the US.
Regulations demanding the sale of Tiktok’s US assets by a deadline, or the possibility of a ban, were put in place in April last year by then-President Joe Biden. This was in response to national security fears and concerns about potential surveillance by China through video sharing apps.
The US has never banned major social media platforms, and the law enacted last year gives the government the authority to ban or require the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.
Trump mentioned on Thursday that the 75-day deadline for Tiktok could be extended.
The uncertainty surrounding Tiktok has attracted interest from potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.
Trump indicated that he has been in talks with various parties regarding the purchase of Tiktok and is likely to make a decision on the app’s future in February.
Source: www.theguardian.com
