If you deleted TikTok due to the ban, you no longer have to go without: TikTok returned to app stores in the United States late Thursday evening, February 13, after President Trump delayed the ban on the app.
Trump began trying to pause enforcement of the ban last month with an executive order, but Apple and Google were hesitant to allow downloads of the app again due to legal threats surrounding it. Both major app stores received letters from the Department of Justice, informing them that they would not face any fines for allowing the app to be downloaded.
TikTok “went dark” within the United States for less than 24 hours on Jan 19. It was then it was quickly brought back due to a deal from President Trump. Any users who deleted the app off of devices before or during the ban could not re-download the software, even when it came back on for those who still had the app.
Last year, President Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app before Jan 19. Along the campaign trail, Trump had vowed to protect the app’s future, though he advocated for its ban during his first term.
TikTok, which houses over 170 million users, is now back to its normal functionality. President Trump’s executive order has ordered that the Justice Department not enforce any TikTok ban for 75 days, giving short-term hope and long-term uncertainty to the safety of the app.
