TikTok Reenters US App Stores While Trump Postpones Implementing the Ban

After Trump postponed the ban and extended the deadline for complying with the statute mandating its sale, TikTok is back in US app stores.

President Donald Trump delayed the implementation of a ban on the Chinese-owned platform until April 5, allowing TikTok to be downloaded again from the US Apple and Google app stores. With more than 170 million American users, the app fell down for a short while last month as the ban deadline approached.

TikTok has been given a 75-day extension by Trump’s executive order to comply with a regulation that mandates the firm sell its US operations or risk being banned completely. Bloomberg reports that the Trump administration assured Apple and Google that they would not be held legally responsible for permitting downloads, which prompted the decision to reinstate TikTok’s availability.

The prohibition was first enacted with bipartisan backing in Congress during the administration of former President Joe Biden. Because of national security concerns, the law required ByteDance, the Chinese parent firm of TikTok, to withdraw from its US activities. Both Beijing and TikTok have continuously refuted the US government’s assertion that the app might be used by China for political influence and surveillance.

Trump’s position changed during his reelection campaign, when he acknowledged the platform’s enormous importance, even if he had previously supported a TikTok ban during his first administration. Since then, he has made suggestions about possible concessions, such as shared ownership. In a recent press conference, Trump stated, “I’m considering telling someone to buy it and give half to the US, half, and we’ll give you a permit.”

A number of well-known people have been connected to possible purchases of TikTok’s US businesses. Tech giants like Elon Musk, a multibillionaire entrepreneur, and Larry Ellison, a co-founder of Oracle, have been mentioned as potential purchasers. Media mogul Frank McCourt and billionaire Kevin O’Leary are among the other interested parties. After being contacted by investors, even MrBeast, a popular YouTuber, has shown interest.

After Trump’s election triumph in November, TikTok CEO Shou Chew allegedly visited with him at Mar-a-Lago and then went to his inauguration. Last month, TikTok thanked Trump by name in a letter emailed to its millions of users when the service reopened in the US.

As the revised deadline draws near, discussions about a possible sale or compromise that would address national security issues are still underway, leaving the future of TikTok in the US unknown for the time being.