Tech giants Google and Apple have restored the Chinese social media platform TikTok to their app stores.
China’s TikTok app was restored to both Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store on Thursday night, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The two tech giants initially pulled the Chinese social media platform from their app stores in response to the U.S. sell-or-ban legislation that went into effect on January 19. Notably, the law ordered a ban of TikTok in the United States if its parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, did not divest.
But the TikTok app was reinstated in Google and Apple’s stores after assurances from President Donald Trump, and after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi informed the tech giants that the new law would not immediately be enforced.
President Trump said in a January 20 executive order that he instructed the attorney general “not to take any action to enforce the act for a period of 75 days from today to allow my administration an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward.”
As Breitbart News reported, TikTok went dark for U.S. users on January 18, with a notice that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” explaining that this was due to a “law banning TikTok” being enacted in the United States.
The message, however, went on to praise then-incoming President Trump for having “indicated that he will work” with the app to find “a solution to reinstate TikTok.”
“A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.,” the TikTok message read at the time.
“Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” the message added. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
The following day, TikTok restored its services for U.S. users after President Trump clarified he would issue an executive order delaying a ban on the app.
Google and Apple, meanwhile, had banned TikTok from their app stores for U.S. users trying to download the social media platform to their phones. The app ban in the tech giant’s stores has since been revoked as of Thursday.
As Breitbart News reported, TikTok’s ban arrived amid U.S. lawmakers repeatedly expressing concern regarding national security, given that the app is owned by a Chinese company that is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.
One day before TikTok went dark for U.S. users, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the sell-or-ban legislation in a unanimous ruling that the law would be set to go into effect.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
