Apple and Google have restored TikTok to their US app stores, reversing a decision made several weeks ago when they removed the Chinese-owned video platform due to a new law banning it in the country. The move comes after the Justice Department assured both companies that they would not face fines for carrying TikTok.
President Trump had tried to pause enforcement of the ban with an executive order last month, but Apple and Google were hesitant to bring back the app until they were certain they were not breaking the law. However, after receiving written guidance from the Justice Department, they have now reinstated TikTok.
The US law, signed by President Biden last year, requires ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to sell the app to a non-Chinese owner by January 19th. Federal lawmakers had expressed concerns that TikTok’s Chinese ties made it a national security threat. Despite this, TikTok claims to have 170 million US users and has remained largely unaffected since the law went into effect.
The move has raised questions about whether Trump is abiding by the rule of law or prioritizing executive power. Some experts say that conflict represents the beginnings of a constitutional crisis. TikTok’s return to app stores means it can now operate as usual in the US, but concerns remain about data security and misinformation.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/technology/tiktok-apple-google-app-stores.html