TikTok returned to the US’s Apple and Google app stores after Trump extended the TikTok ban deadline to April 5. The app briefly disappeared last month as officials prepared to enforce a law requiring its sale or ban.
Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok 75 more days to comply, preventing an immediate shutdown. Apple and Google reinstated TikTok after receiving assurances from the administration that enforcement would not begin yet.
The app used by 170 million Americans has remained at the centre of a political battle over data privacy and national security. The US Congress passed the ban with bipartisan support, and former President Joe Biden signed it into law.
Lawmakers were concerned that China could use TikTok for spying and election interference, allegations that both China and TikTok deny. Beijing has resisted demands for ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to sell its US operations.
Trump previously supported banning the app during his first term but softened his stance recently. During his campaign, he praised TikTok, noting the massive audience engagement his videos received.
In November, TikTok CEO Shou Chew met Trump in Mar-a-Lago after his election victory, and he later attended his inauguration. After Trump’s TikTok ban extension, users received a pop-up message thanking Trump by name.
Meanwhile, Trump has suggested alternative solutions allowing the app to continue operating under US control. He floated the idea of TikTok being partially owned by American investors, proposing Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Billionaire Elon Musk as potential buyers.
Other investors, including Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary and YouTube star MrBeast, have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok. With the extended deadline, discussions over the app’s future remain uncertain. Trump’s TikTok ban extension keeps the app running for now, but a final solution remains.
