TikTok is once again available for download in the US, after former president Donald Trump granted a 75-day extension on enforcing a law that would ban the app unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells its US operations.
The popular video-sharing platform, which has more than 170 million American users, briefly disappeared from Apple and Google’s US app stores last month as the original ban deadline loomed. However, following Trump’s executive order postponing enforcement until 5 April, the app was reinstated after assurances were given that Apple and Google would not face liability for allowing downloads.
The legislation banning TikTok was originally signed into law by former president Joe Biden, with bipartisan support in Congress. The US government had argued that the platform could be used by Beijing for espionage and political manipulation—claims that both TikTok and the Chinese government have repeatedly denied.
Despite his earlier stance in favour of banning TikTok, Trump appeared to shift his position last year during the presidential race. He expressed a “warm spot” for the app, highlighting the billions of views his campaign videos attracted on the platform. When TikTok resumed operations in the US, users received a pop-up message thanking Trump by name.
TikTok’s chief executive, Shou Chew, reportedly met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his electoral victory in November and later attended his inauguration.
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