ISLAMABAD: TikTok made its return to the Apple and Google app stores in the US on Thursday, following President Donald Trump’s decision to delay a ban on the Chinese-owned social media app. Trump reassured the tech giants that they would not face fines for distributing or maintaining the app.
TikTok, used by nearly half of all Americans, briefly went dark last month before a law took effect on January 19, requiring its Chinese parent company ByteDance to either sell the app or face a national security-related ban.
The day after, Trump signed an executive order to delay the enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue operating in the US for now.
Although TikTok resumed its services after Trump’s assurances, Google and Apple had kept it removed from their US app stores. On Thursday, however, the app became available for new users to download once again.
Industry analysts suggest that Google and Apple may have awaited confirmation that they would not be prosecuted for hosting or distributing the app.
Trump’s directive clarified that the companies running the app stores would not face penalties for maintaining TikTok’s availability.
TikTok was the second-most downloaded app in the US in 2024, with more than 52 million downloads, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Of these, 52% came from the Apple App Store, and 48% from Google Play.
The law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations or face a ban was signed by former President Joe Biden in April, due to concerns over national security and fears that China could use the app to spy on American users.
While the US has never banned a major social media platform, the new law grants the Trump administration broad powers to target other Chinese-owned apps.
Trump indicated that while his 75-day deadline on TikTok could be extended, he did not believe it would be necessary.
