After a temporary removal from digital marketplaces, TikTok has made its way back onto Apple and Google’s app stores in the United States. The return follows President Donald Trump’s decision to postpone the enforcement of a ban that would have seen the app permanently barred from the country.
The popular video-sharing platform, owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, was originally taken down on 18 January to comply with legislation mandating either its divestment or prohibition within the US. Boasting a substantial American user base exceeding 170 million, TikTok briefly suspended its services for a day before resuming operations. This brief interruption led to an exodus of users flocking to RedNote, a Chinese social media platform, dubbing themselves “TikTok refugees.”
TikTok has now returned to the US Apple App Store and Google Play Store after nearly a month of absence. The reinstatement follows Trump’s first executive order upon assuming office, which extended the deadline for enforcing a TikTok ban until 5 April.
For years, the platform has been under scrutiny from US authorities, who argue that its Chinese ownership poses a national security risk. Concerns have been raised about the potential for American user data to be accessed by the Chinese government. However, TikTok has consistently denied such allegations, insisting that it has never shared US user data under government orders. The company has also challenged the law requiring it to be sold or banned, claiming it violates the First Amendment rights of its American users.
While Trump has suggested the possibility of joint ownership, where half of TikTok’s stakeholders would be American, discussions regarding a sale are ongoing. Among the potential buyers are real estate magnate Frank McCourt, businessman and Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, and renowned YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, popularly known as MrBeast.
With the new deadline set for April, the future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain, though for now, its millions of American users can once again access the app without restriction.
