Yesterday evening, after almost a month, TikTok finally returned to app stores. Google and Apple initially took down the app on Jan. 19: the day TikTok’s “ban or sell” law went into effect.
This law, officially called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, stated that app stores could face fines if they continue to host TikTok.
Specifically, according to The Verge, service providers could face a $5,000 fine per person using their services. In addition, the Government also told the Supreme Court that these penalties could be enforced up to five years later.
On Jan. 20, the day after this law came into effect, Trump issued an executive order that stated that the ban and potential penalties for hosting the app wouldn’t be enforced for the next 75 days.
However, it seems like this executive order wasn’t sufficient for Google and Apple, who kept the app off their app stores even after TikTok went back online.
What Made Apple And Google Reinstate TikTok?
According to Bloomberg, Apple and Google finally decided to reinstate the app in their stores after US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote a letter saying that the ban wouldn’t be immediately enforced.
This comes after TikTok seemingly endorsed “sideloading” the app by allowing Android users to directly download TikTok from its website.
So, while things are back to “normal” for now, Trump needs to nail a TikTok deal to ensure this all doesn’t happen again come April 5. The only question is, will ByteDance budge?
Further reading:
- Third-Party TikTok Downloads See Sharp Upswing in the US as App Stores Honor the TikTok Ban
- The Brain Rot Words List Challenge Highlights Zoomer Dadaism On TikTok
- Android Users Can Now Download TikTok From Its Website
- China Could Pull Plug on TikTok Sale as Bytedance ‘Snow `Rolls’
- Snap Is Cashing In on TikTok Uncertainty, CEO Says
