- By Prateek Levi
- Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:08 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
TikTok Ban: On Thursday, Google Play announced that TikTok had been restored to the U.S. app store following former President Donald Trump’s intervention to protect the platform and his executive action that postponed the ban. Apple was also expected to reinstate the app later that evening, with reports from Bloomberg and CNBC confirming its availability on the store by Thursday night, a detail later verified by CNN after conducting tests on various phones.
The controversy over TikTok’s future began in April when a law signed by then-President Joe Biden gave ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, 270 days to sell the app to a U.S.-based owner or an ally, or face a potential ban. This was driven by national security concerns. Just before the law’s enforcement was set to take place, the Supreme Court upheld the ban, adding to the uncertainty.
In January, TikTok briefly went offline for about 14 hours, citing the pressure of the looming law. However, it quickly made a return, largely thanks to promises from President Trump, who had pledged to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. Even with the app’s return, users who had not previously downloaded it were unable to access TikTok or other ByteDance-owned apps, including Lemon8 and CapCut, on the Apple and Google Play stores.
Apple clarified that, even though TikTok was removed from the stores, users who had already installed the app could still access it.
The tech companies involved faced serious potential consequences. Trump had indicated early in his presidency that he would take action to delay the implementation of the ban to provide time for negotiations that could address national security issues. On January 19, Trump announced on Truth Social, “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.” He also made it clear that he would not hold companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle accountable for continuing to support TikTok until his order was signed.
The law required that tech companies hosting TikTok, including Oracle, Apple, and Google, would face fines up to $5,000 for every individual who accessed the app beyond the deadline set for enforcement.
Trump signed the executive order on January 20, giving TikTok another 75 days to find a new owner. He stated that the delay was necessary to avoid an abrupt shutdown of a widely-used platform. “I will issue the order to give more time for a deal to be made,” Trump explained, noting that it was crucial to balance national security concerns with the app’s significant role in millions of Americans’ lives.
Trump also explained why he reversed his stance on TikTok, stating, “I changed my mind on TikTok because I got to use it.” He further elaborated, “And remember, TikTok is largely about kids, young kids. If China is going to get information about young kids out of it, to be honest, I think we have bigger problems than that.”
Trump emphasized that the executive action gave him the authority to either sell TikTok or shut it down entirely. “I have the right to either sell it or close it, and we’ll make that determination,” he said.
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