TikTok returns to Apple and Google app stores in the US

Due to former U.S. President Donald Trump's postponement of the ban on the Chinese social media platform TikTok until April 5th, the application has been relisted in the U.S. app stores of Apple and Google. This move temporarily alleviated the previous turmoil caused by the impending ban and subsequent delisting of the app.

TikTok boasts over 170 million users in the United States, making it a widely popular application. Last month, as the ban deadline approached, the app was briefly removed from U.S. app stores. Subsequently, Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with relevant laws, stipulating that the app would be banned if it was not sold.

According to Bloomberg, the decision to reinstate TikTok in U.S. app stores was made after Apple and Google received assurances from the Trump administration that allowing downloads would not hold them liable, and that the ban would not be enforced for the time being. Previously, the ban, passed by a bipartisan vote in Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden, required TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the U.S. version of the platform to a neutral party to avoid a complete ban.

The Biden administration has claimed that TikTok could be used by China as a tool for espionage and political manipulation. China and TikTok have repeatedly denied these allegations. Beijing has also previously rejected demands to sell TikTok's U.S. operations. The ban has received support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the United States and was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court.

Trump himself supported banning the app during his first term as president, but his stance appeared to shift during last year's presidential campaign. He expressed having a "soft spot" for the app and boasted that his videos on the platform attracted billions of views during the presidential campaign last year. When the app began running again in the United States last month, a pop-up message was sent to millions of users, specifically thanking Trump.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after Trump's November victory and subsequently attended his inauguration. Trump stated that he wanted to find a compromise that met the spirit, not the letter, of the law, even suggesting the idea of TikTok being co-owned by both parties. He also indicated his willingness to sell the app to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and billionaire Elon Musk, the latter of whom led the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency.

Previously associated with the acquisition of TikTok were names including billionaire Frank McCourt and Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary – a star investor on the U.S. version of "Shark Tank." The world's largest YouTuber, Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast), also claimed he was involved in the bidding process, after some investors contacted him following his posting about his interest on social media.