TikTok returned to the U.S. app stores of Apple and Google on Thursday as President Donald Trump delayed a ban on the Chinese-owned social media app and assured the tech giants they would not be fined for distributing or maintaining it.
The popular short video app used by nearly half of all Americans went dark briefly last month, before a law took effect on January 19 that requires its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban.
The following day, Trump signed an executive order seeking to delay the enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue its operations in the U.S. temporarily.
Although TikTok resumed service after Trump's assurances, Google, opens new tab and Apple, opens new tab kept the app removed from their U.S. app stores.
TikTok, the second-most downloaded app in the U.S. last year, said on Thursday that its latest app was now available for download.
The delay could have been because Google and Apple were awaiting assurances that they would not be prosecuted for hosting or distributing the app, according to analysts.
Trump's directive said the companies, which run mobile application stores or digital marketplaces where users can browse, download and update apps, would not face penalties for keeping the TikTok app up and running.
TikTok had more than 52 million downloads in 2024, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
About 52% of its total downloads were from Apple App Store, while 48% were from Google Play in the U.S. last year, Sensor Tower said.
The law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets or ultimately face a ban was signed by then President Joe Biden last April, triggered by national security concerns and fears that China could use the video-sharing app to spy on American users.
The U.S. has never banned a major social media platform and the law that passed last year gives the government sweeping authority to ban or seek the sale of other Chinese-owned apps.
Trump said on Thursday that his 75-day deadline on TikTok could be extended.
The turmoil at TikTok attracted several potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who have expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion.
Trump has said that he was in talks with multiple people over TikTok's purchase and would likely have a decision on the app's future in February.
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Venezuela has formally accused the United States of “maritime piracy” after a Venezuelan oil shipment was seized in international waters, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in high-level talks in Berlin from 14-15 December, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. envoys, and European leaders, focusing on security guarantees and the framework for a potential peace deal with Russia.
Syria has arrested five people suspected of having links to a deadly attack on a joint U.S.–Syrian convoy in the central town of Palmyra on Saturday, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
Cambodia must be the first to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing border conflict, Thailand said on Tuesday (16 December), as fighting continued despite earlier claims that hostilities would stop and at least 52 people have been killed on both sides.
The latest clashes between Thailand and Cambodia mark a dangerous escalation in one of Southeast Asia’s oldest and most sensitive disputes.
In the complex world of international diplomacy, the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan have raised significant questions about the role of third-party mediation.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is visiting the United Arab Emirates at the invitation of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday, 17 December, as the two countries seek to further strengthen their partnership.
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International oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling on European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels to approve the use of billions of euros from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s military and economic needs.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has greenlit a landmark energy agreement that will see Israel export natural gas valued at approximately $35 billion to Egypt.
A sweeping $901 billion defence policy bill has been approved by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to sign it into law.
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