TikTok has made a grand return to both the Apple and Google app stores in the U.S., a significant change of pace after Donald Trump delayed the app’s ban last month.
Originally yanked from the stores, the Chinese-owned platform had briefly suspended operations in the U.S. to comply with a law demanding TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, divest or face a January 19th ban. While TikTok quickly restored service, it remained inaccessible for download until now.
The law, known as the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” was passed under the Biden administration in April 2024, citing national security concerns regarding ByteDance’s ownership. It granted ByteDance 270 days to divest or face the ban, with the Supreme Court upholding the measure just days before the deadline. However, Trump’s executive order on his first day in office extended this deadline by 75 days, offering TikTok more time to act.
Trump’s order gave the administration flexibility, instructing his attorney general to withhold enforcement of the law to carefully chart a path forward. Trump even floated the idea of using a newly established sovereign wealth fund to purchase a controlling stake in TikTok, keeping the app alive and kicking for millions of users.
“We might do something with TikTok,” he said. “If we make the right deal, we’ll do it, otherwise we won’t.”
Tech giants like Microsoft, and Oracle and investors such as Kevin O’Leary have weighed in, expressing interest in owning the app.
