Topline
TikTok returned to Apple’s App Store on Thursday evening, marking the popular app’s return to the store nearly a month after a ban against it briefly went into effect.
TikTok was removed from the App Store last month. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Key Facts
TikTok was present in the App Store and the Google Play Store on Thursday evening.
The return to the App Store came after Apple received a letter from the Justice Department, according to Bloomberg.
TikTok, owned by China-based company ByteDance, was removed from app stores last month when a federal ban against it became effective for less than a day, briefly making the app go dark and barring app stores and internet service providers from hosting TikTok.
President Donald Trump upon taking office signed an executive order halting the ban for 75 days, allowing TikTok to stay active on the phones of users who already had it downloaded—though the order did not bring TikTok back to the App Store or the Google Play Store for download.
TikTok was not available on the App Store as of 8 p.m. EST.
Apple did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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What We Don’t Know
It’s not clear exactly what the letter to Apple said, but Apple was assured by the Trump administration there wouldn’t be immediate enforcement of a ban, according to Bloomberg.
Key Background
Trump, who became a TikTok defender on his campaign after crediting it for improving his support among young people, ordered a halt on the ban to give his administration time to “determine the appropriate course of action with respect to TikTok.” The law against TikTok forced the app to be sold to a U.S. company or face a ban. Trump has threatened China with “tariffs of 25, 30, 50%, even 100%” if it tries to block a deal made by his administration. The president has suggested the app should be owned through a joint venture at least 50% controlled by U.S. interests. The bipartisan ban of the app was approved over data privacy and national security concerns, with U.S. officials alleging TikTok could be used by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on Americans or manipulate public discourse. TikTok has denied claims it is working directly with the Chinese government.
Further Reading
TikTok Ban Live Updates: Trump Halts Ban For 75 Days—After CEO Attends Inauguration (Forbes)
These Billionaires, Companies And Investors Could Buy TikTok—As Trump Eyes ‘Bidding War’ With Microsoft (Forbes)
