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Video sharing platform TikTok is back in Apple and Google's app stores. On Thursday, February 13, 2025, the app became available to download, weeks after it was forced to temporarily pause service in the United States over a new law that came into effect last month.
The law barred third-party services like Google Play or the App Store from hosting applications controlled by foreign adversaries like China or Russia, citing national security risks. Beginning January 19, the tech giants removed TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, from their downloading platforms.
As news of the recent development spread, internet users were quick to react. One wrote:
Meet a little girl with a big heart RIGHT HERE
"All that drama and for what"
Many commented on an alleged scheme of people buying phones that had the social media app already downloaded (taking it down from the app store didn't remove an already installed one from the phone):
"i wonder if people were actually buying iphones that had tiktok downloaded on it still just for it to come back," one wrote.
"And people were talking about selling phones with tiktok on them for thousands of dollars..." another added.
"Yay! I can finally use my new phone now," a person noted.
Others expressed:
"The whole thing was so pointless," one commented.
"I redownloaded it LETS GO WE SO BACK," another stated.
"ugh the evil was almost defeated," a user added.
After his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok 75 days to comply with the law
Last April, President Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act into law. It forbade companies like Google, Apple, and Oracle from distributing third-party apps controlled by foreign adversaries on their respective applications.
This included a fine of $5,000 per user able to access the app.
It is to be noted that the law allows the president to grant a one-time 90-day extension if a sale of the platform is underway.
In the case of TikTok, if ByteDance didn't divest from the platform, it faced a potential ban. The app went dark for about 12 hours until President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving the company an extra 75 days (until April 5) to comply with the law.
At the time, users with the app installed could use it, but new users could not download it.
Citing "sources familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about it," NPR reported that on Thursday, the tech companies received a letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi informing them that the current administration would not prosecute them for hosting the social media platform.
This allows the App Store and Google Play to allow users in the U.S. to download the app on their phones. Further, the company can also send software and security updates to the users.
In a Truth Social post, Trump has called for the United States to have 50% joint ownership over TikTok. He has since pushed for Musk, Microsoft, or Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison to buy the app.
During an interview with reporters on Air Force One (to Florida) last month, Trump explained he was in talks with multiple people over buying the app.
There is no official word on the sale of TikTok.
