TikTok Returns To US App Stores
Chinese owned social media platform TikTok will return to being available for download by US users, as Donald Trump takes time to consider its future in the US, where it has been facing a court-enforced blanket ban due to concerns over national security.
The popular app, which is used by more than 170 million American users, was subsequently withdrawn from the the US market.
TikTok's return comes after President Donald Trump postponed the enforcement ban of the social media platform until the 5th of April, signing an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law banning the app if it is not sold.
According to Bloomberg, the decision to resume its availability came after Apple and Google received assurances from the Trump administration that they would not be held liable for allowing downloads, and the ban wouldn't be enforced for now. The ban, which passed with a bipartisan vote in Congress, was signed into law by former President Joe Biden. It ordered TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the US version of the platform to a neutral party to avert an outright ban.
The Biden administration had argued that TikTok could be used by China as a tool for Spying and Political Manipulation China and TikTok have repeatedly denied those accusations. The Chinese government has previously rejected calls for a sale of TikTok's US operations.
Trump himself had supported banning the app during his first term in office but he appeared to have a change of heart last year during the presidential race.
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.The turmoil at TikTok attracted several potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team owner Frank McCourt, who have expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50bn.
Despite the assurance given to Google and Apple, some legal experts say that a letter from the Trump administration promising to not prosecute can still mean they are in violation of US law.
In comment, Georgetown University law professor Anupam Chander said "You now have some of the biggest corporations in the world accepting the word of the Trump Justice Department that this statute won't be weaponised against them...
"This could help them stay on the good side of the Trump administration and address the financial hit they're taking by not hosting TikTok on app stores."
Bloomberg | BBC | APNews | Reuters | Guardian | CNN | NPR | Indpendent
Image: eyestix studio
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