Apple and Google restore ability to download TikTok app
Employer.com CEO and founder Jesse Tinsley joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to weigh in on President Donald Trump’s plan for there to be a bidding war over TikTok.
Apple and Google have restored access to the TikTok app after removing it briefly last month.
The app was removed from mobile stores to comply with a ban on the social media platform following a requirement for the Chinese technology company ByteDance to sell or shut it down.
At issue was the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a law passed by Congress last April with wide bipartisan support. The law gave TikTok nine months to either divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or be removed from U.S.-based app stores and hosting services.
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS LOOMING TIKTOK BAN
A screenshot of an update in the TikTok app on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Fox News Digital / Fox News)
Use of the app was restored shortly after it was removed from the app stores due to promises from President Trump to save it, but the ability to download it remained unavailable until Thursday.
Trump indicated prior to his election that he was going to extend the time before the law would be in effect so that he could effectively procure a deal that would also protect national security.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for allegedly sharing data of minors. (Illustration by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images / Getty Images)
TRUMP SAYS FATE OF TIKTOK SHOULD BE IN HIS HANDS WHEN HE RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE
“The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
In a statement from the company, they thanked President Trump and said they will work with the administration to find a long-term solution.
“We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties for providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive,” TikTok stated.
The TikTok logo is seen in this illustration photo taken in Warsaw, Poland on 28 December, 2024. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Although access to the app has been restored, the status of the law is unresolved and there is still no solution. The app’s ownership also has still not been decided.
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Read More: Apple and Google restore ability to download TikTok app