TikTok Returns to App Stores After Trump's Last-Minute Executive Order
TikTok has returned to the Apple App Store and Google Play following a temporary removal, thanks to an executive order from President Donald Trump that delayed the enforcement of a potential ban.
The social media platform was briefly removed after a law signed in April 2024 required ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to sell the app to a U.S. or allied owner within 270 days or face a ban. The Supreme Court initially upheld this ban, leading to the app's removal.
Apple and TikTok app store icons
Trump's intervention provides a 75-day extension for ByteDance to secure a U.S. buyer. During this period:
- TikTok remains fully operational in the U.S.
- Existing users were never affected
- New users can download the app from both app stores
- ByteDance must still comply with the sale requirement
The law's potential impact could affect several tech partners:
- Apple and Google (app store availability)
- Oracle (U.S. cloud services provider)
- Internet service providers (potential access blocking)
Trump's position shifted after personally using TikTok, stating: "TikTok is largely about kids, young kids… If China is going to get information about young kids out of it, to be honest, I think we have bigger problems than that."
While TikTok's 175 million U.S. users can continue using the platform, its long-term future remains uncertain. ByteDance must either secure a U.S. buyer within the extended deadline or potentially face another ban, leaving the platform's fate in a precarious position.
The extension also applies to other ByteDance-owned apps, including Lemon8 and CapCut, which have also been restored to the app stores.
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