TikTok has been reinstated on the Apple and Google app stores in the United States following President Donald Trump’s decision to delay the enforcement of a ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform until April 5.
The widely-used app, which boasts over 170 million users in America, experienced a temporary removal last month as the deadline for the ban loomed.
In response, Trump issued an executive order that provides TikTok with a 75-day period to adhere to a law that would prohibit the app unless it is sold.
TikTok has not yet provided a comment to BBC News regarding this development. According to Bloomberg, which initially reported TikTok’s reinstatement in US app stores, the decision to make the app available again followed assurances from the Trump administration to Apple and Google that they would not face liability for permitting downloads, and that the enforcement of the ban would be postponed.
The ban, which was enacted through a bipartisan vote in Congress, was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. This legislation mandated that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, divest the US version of the app to a neutral entity to prevent a complete ban.
The Biden administration contended that TikTok could potentially be exploited by China for espionage and political interference.
Both China and TikTok have consistently denied these allegations, with Beijing previously dismissing demands for the sale of TikTok’s US operations.
The legislation prohibiting the app received backing from lawmakers across party lines and was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court.
During his first term, Trump supported the app’s ban but seemed to change his stance last year amid the presidential campaign, expressing a “warm spot” for TikTok and highlighting the significant viewership his videos garnered on the platform during that time.
Last month, when the app resumed operations in the US, a notification was sent to its millions of users expressing gratitude to Trump by name.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago following his electoral win in November and subsequently attended his inauguration.
Trump has indicated a desire to reach a compromise with the Chinese firm that aligns more with the spirit than the strict interpretation of the law, even suggesting the possibility of TikTok being co-owned.
“I’m considering proposing that someone purchase it, giving half to the US and half to us, and we’ll issue a permit,” he remarked recently during a press conference focused on artificial intelligence.
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He also mentioned his willingness to sell the app to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison or billionaire Elon Musk, who heads the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Other potential buyers previously associated with TikTok include billionaire Frank McCourt and Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary, known for his role as a celebrity investor on Shark Tank, the American version of Dragon’s Den.
Additionally, the world’s leading YouTuber, Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has stated that he is in the running after receiving interest from several investors following his social media post expressing his desire to acquire the app.
