Former US President Donald Trump has temporarily postponed the ban on TikTok and assured tech companies that they will not face fines for distributing or maintaining the Chinese-owned social media app. Following this decision, TikTok made its way back to the US Android and Apple app stores on Thursday.
The popular short-video app, used by 50% of Americans, had briefly gone offline last month when a January 19 regulation required its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to either sell it for national security reasons or face a complete ban.
A day later, Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue its US operations temporarily.
Despite Trump’s assurances, Google and Apple were slow to reinstate TikTok on their platforms, only restoring it to US app stores on Thursday.
Experts believe the delay was likely because Google and Apple were waiting for legal protection, ensuring they wouldn’t face prosecution for hosting or distributing the app.
Trump’s directive made it clear that companies operating mobile application stores or digital marketplaces would not be penalized for allowing TikTok to remain available.
According to Sensor Tower, TikTok had over 52 million downloads in 2024, with 52% from Apple’s App Store and 48% from Google Play.
The law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US assets or face a ban was signed by former President Joe Biden in April 2024, due to national security concerns and fears that China could use the app for spying on American users.
The US has never banned a major social media platform before, and this law grants the Trump administration the power to ban or force the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.
On Thursday, Trump stated that the 75-day deadline could be extended, but he believes it will not be necessary.
TikTok has not yet responded to requests for comment.
