TikTok restored on Apple, Google stores in US

TikTok has returned to Apple and Google’s US app stores after President Donald Trump delayed enforcement of a ban on the Chinese-owned platform until April 5.

The popular social media app, with over 170 million American users, briefly went offline last month as the ban deadline loomed. However, Trump later signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with the law requiring its sale to a neutral party.

Bloomberg, which first reported the app’s reinstatement, said Apple and Google restored TikTok after receiving assurances from the Trump administration that they would not face legal consequences and that the ban would not yet be enforced.

The ban, passed with bipartisan support in Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden, mandates that ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, divest its US operations to avoid a full-scale prohibition.

The Biden administration had cited national security concerns, arguing that TikTok could be exploited by China for espionage and political influence. Both Beijing and TikTok have repeatedly denied these allegations, with China rejecting demands for a forced sale.