What just happened? Apple and Google have brought TikTok back to their respective US stores almost a month after it was removed. It comes after President Trump signed an order stopping the app's ban from being enforced and assured the companies they would not be fined for hosting or distributing it.
A letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi assured Apple and Google that the ban on TikTok would not be immediately enforced, allowing the pair to bring the app back to their stores without consequences.
TikTok briefly blocked access for US users last month, hours before it was due to be banned under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which requires its US operations to be sold to a US owner or one of its allies to avoid a ban. It returned after around 14 hours with a thanks for Trump for promising to reinstate the app when he took office.
Trump signed an executive order on January 20 directing the Department of Justice not to enforce the ban for 75 days. Trump also said that companies would not face penalties for hosting the app.
But Apple and Google, which had removed TikTok from their mobile app stores on January 18 to comply with the act, wanted more assurance before bringing it back; the companies could be fined billions of dollars for doing so under the Act.
TikTok posted a message on X stating that the latest version of the app is now available to download in the US.
The latest TikTok app is now available to download
– TikTok US (@tiktok_us) February 14, 2025
TikTok might have returned to the US stores, but its future remains uncertain. Trump has reportedly handed responsibility for saving the company's US operations to Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. The president also said he could extend the 75-day deadline.
Elon Musk had been one of the favorites to buy TikTok – Trump had put the DOGE leader forward as a potential candidate – but he ruled himself out earlier this week, claiming he prefers to build companies from scratch rather than acquire them; Twitter was an exception made for free speech reasons, apparently.
Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has also expressed interest in buying TikTok, as has a consortium that includes YouTube star MrBeast.
Masthead: Collabstr
