TikTok is back in the US app stores. Apple and Google made the platform available for download again on Thursday evening, after a brief disappearance due to a ban rooted in national security concerns.
The ban was a result of a law signed by President Joe Biden in April, requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app to a non-Chinese owner or face a block in the US. The Supreme Court upheld the law on January 17, paving the way for the shutdown.
However, in a surprising move, TikTok restored its services in the US on January 19, after incoming President Donald Trump pledged to save the app. Trump indicated that he would sign an executive order to extend the time before the law’s prohibitions took effect, allowing for a deal to protect national security.
TikTok thanked President Trump for providing clarity and assurance to its service providers, ensuring they wouldn’t face penalties for providing the app to over 170 million Americans and supporting over 7 million small businesses.
Also read: US Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Ban Amid Controversy
The status of the law and the app’s ownership remains uncertain. Trump had considered enacting a provision of the law that would allow for a 90-day extension, but this was never officially implemented. As a result, TikTok’s future in the US remains open-ended.
Both Trump and Biden have changed their stances on whether the Chinese-owned app should be available in the US. Trump initially sought to ban the app, signing an executive order in August 2020, but later reversed his position. Biden also appeared to go back and forth on his stance, putting the onus back on Trump after signing the law that paved the way for the ban.