TikTok returning to Apple App Store
Apple will finally return TikTok to the App Store after receiving a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Apps controlled by Chinese company ByteDance were banned on January 19 due to failing to meet requirements set by a law. On January 20, newly inaugurated President Trump signed an executive order that aimed to restore TikTok’s operation in the United States for 75 days.
The President doesn’t have the authority to stop the Department of Justice from enforcing laws, so companies like Apple and Google were cautious and didn’t restore the app to their app stores. According to a report from Bloomberg, the newly appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Apple, which has resulted in the promised return of TikTok.
Companies like Oracle that host TikTok flipped the switch enabling the app to resume operations right away on January 20. However, there was always the risk of the DOJ taking action and fining law breakers $5,000 per user.
It wasn’t until the head of the DOJ, the Attorney General, gave their word that it made any difference. Now, knowing a fine isn’t coming, Apple and Google can restore TikTok.
It isn’t clear if the ban lift will apply to the other ByteDance apps, which include CapCut, Lemon8, Lark, and Hypic. The game Marvel Snap was restored to the App Store previously due to finding a different distributor.
The legal troubles for TikTok aren’t over just yet. The executive order only offers a 75-day extension, which would end on April 5, 2025.
ByteDance must still find a US buyer for TikTok for the app to continue operating in the country. That, or Congress will have to overturn the law.
Otherwise, TikTok will be banned in April, and US consumers will need to find an alternative. While Meta would love to see people flock to Instagram Reels or Threads, other apps are vying to replace TikTok using the BlueSky AT Protocol or Federation.
