Will Trump Put TikTok Back on the App Store After Removal

TikTok's removal from the App Store was a shocking move, but what's next? According to the Trump administration's executive order, TikTok's parent company ByteDance has 90 days to divest its ownership of the app.

The executive order was issued on August 6, 2020, and gave ByteDance until November 12, 2020, to comply. This means that even if Trump is no longer in office, the order still stands.

The removal of TikTok from the App Store was a result of national security concerns, with the US government citing the app's potential to collect user data and share it with the Chinese government.

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Some Republican lawmakers have pushed back against Trump's announcement, with Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts saying there's no legal basis for an extension unless ByteDance agrees to sever ties between TikTok and China.

Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, has spoken out against a TikTok ban, warning that it could violate freedom of speech and expression.

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The Trump administration is attempting to sort out a deal that would put TikTok under US ownership and avert an indefinite nationwide ban.

TikTok returned to Apple and Google's app stores late Thursday, nearly a month after a ban briefly went into effect.

The ban was briefly in effect due to a law passed by Congress last year banning TikTok and similar digital platforms controlled by "foreign adversaries" unless their owners divest.

TikTok has denied claims it is beholden to the Chinese government, insisting it has never handed over data to the Chinese government.

The platform's CEO told Congress he "disagrees with the characterization" that the platform is spying on Americans and said TikTok is committed to protecting Americans' data.

ByteDance has tried to quell concerns about TikTok by noting 100% of US traffic was routed to Oracle and US Digital Service infrastructure in the United States as of 2022.

Sen. Kevin Cramer questioned the legality of the expected executive order from Trump delaying the TikTok ban, telling CNN, "I've been concerned about the appropriate approach to separation of powers by all presidents."

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Some Republican lawmakers have pushed back against Trump's announcement, with Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts stating there's no legal basis for an "extension" unless ByteDance agrees to sever ties between TikTok and China.

Elon Musk has spoken out against a TikTok ban, saying it could violate freedom of speech and expression. He also pointed out the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced.

Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning has urged the US to provide an "open, free, just and non-discriminatory" business environment, highlighting that TikTok has boosted employment in the US.

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Some Republican lawmakers have pushed back against Trump's announcement, with Senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts saying there's no legal basis for any kind of extension unless ByteDance agrees to sever ties between TikTok and China.

Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, has spoken out against a TikTok ban, arguing it could violate freedom of speech and expression. Musk also pointed out the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced.

The US government has taken a strong stance against TikTok, with Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning urging the US to provide an open, free, just, and non-discriminatory business environment, citing TikTok's positive impact on US employment.

TikTok's hosting providers, Oracle and Akamai, have restored their services, allowing the app to be back online for a majority of US users.

The long-term fix to keeping TikTok online seems to be a complex and challenging task. One potential solution is to pass a new law reversing the old one, but this has broad bipartisan support in Congress, making it a difficult task.

Two potential buyers have submitted formal bids for TikTok: a group led by billionaire Frank McCourt and "Shark Tank's" Kevin O'Leary, as well as AI search engine PerplexityAI. Other buyers have reportedly shown interest in TikTok.

ByteDance has no intention of selling TikTok, valuing its secret power - the app's near-magical algorithm that keeps users hooked. Tech giants like Meta and YouTube have tried to replicate this algorithm without success.

Spinning off an American-only version of TikTok could mean the rest of the world has to download a new app to access US users' content. This could lead to a complicated situation.

Elon Musk, a major Trump supporter, has been mentioned as a potential buyer, but it's unclear if he would want to acquire TikTok. He has not publicly commented directly on the acquisition reports.

Musk has expressed his opposition to the TikTok ban, citing freedom of speech concerns. He also pointed out the unbalanced situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China.

Trump has suggested a 50% ownership position in a joint venture between the US and the current or new owners of TikTok. This could potentially allow the sale process to commence.

Apple and Google may still decide to play ball with TikTok, despite Trump's order. This is because Aram Gavoor, associate dean for academic affairs at the George Washington University Law School, thinks the order offers a safe harbor for TikTok's partners, including app stores.

The order provides a safe harbor for app stores to continue hosting TikTok once the attorney general's letter is transmitted and received. This is similar to the IRS issuing a no-action letter for a taxpayer within a given tax year.

Apple has not indicated whether it will add TikTok back to its app store, but it did remove TikTok and other ByteDance apps over the weekend. Apple stated it was "obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates", which includes complying with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.

Google has not commented on whether it will add TikTok back to its app store, but it did decline to comment earlier.

TikTok was not available for download on the Google or Apple app stores by Monday, with Google citing "US legal requirements" and Apple stating the app was not available in the country or region.

The law banning TikTok stipulates steep fines for companies that provide support services for the company, which may have contributed to the app stores' decision to pause downloads.

TikTok was back for many U.S.-based users as of January 19, with users greeted by a "Welcome back!" message, but the app wasn't available for download on the iPhone App Store until February 13.

Apple previously stated that TikTok would remain on users' devices if they had already downloaded it, but the app wouldn't get further updates, which may impact performance, security, and compatibility with iPhone and iPad operating systems.

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