After a brief ban, TikTok is back on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The move comes following assurances from the U.S. Attorney General to Apple and Google, alleviating concerns about legal penalties related to a law that sought to ban TikTok in the U.S.
The tug-of-war over TikTok continues. Apple and Google have restored the popular app to their respective app store s, the App Store and Play Store , after a brief hiatus. This move follows a letter sent by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to the tech giants, assuring them of no penalties for complying with a law that temporarily banned TikTok in the U.S. last month. Both Apple and Google had removed TikTok from their U.S. app store s on January 18, the day before the ban came into effect.
However, on January 20, newly elected President Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day reprieve from the ban, allowing his administration time to determine the best course of action. Initially, despite this reprieve, both companies hesitated to reinstate TikTok, seemingly concerned about the legal implications. The attorney general's letter addressed these concerns, paving the way for the app's return. The controversy surrounding TikTok stems from its Chinese ownership. Many U.S. lawmakers have voiced concerns about the potential for the Chinese government to compel ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to share the personal data of its estimated 170 million American users. The law at the heart of the TikTok saga, enacted in April 2024, mandated ByteDance to sell the app to a non-Chinese company within nine months. This measure was intended to safeguard American data. Trump's executive order effectively suspended the law, giving ByteDance until April 5 to find a buyer. If no resolution is reached by then, the government or courts will decide whether to reinstate the ban, forcing Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their stores once again.ByteDance has fiercely contested the law, asserting that user data is securely protected and that the ban infringes on free speech rights. Despite its absence from app stores, U.S. users could still access TikTok. However, prolonged absence leads to a lack of updates, potentially affecting the app's performance over time. Now, U.S. users with TikTok on iOS or Android devices can download any updates released during the past month, and new users can install the app
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