Apple and Google have reinstated TikTok on their U.S. app stores following a letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, which assured the companies they would not face legal repercussions for hosting the app. This development comes after the popular video-sharing platform was removed in January due to concerns over its Chinese ownership and potential national security risks.
In April 2024, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was enacted, mandating that ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, divest its U.S. operations within nine months. As the January 19, 2025, deadline approached without a sale, Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores to comply with the law.
On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting a 75-day extension to the divestiture deadline, allowing TikTok to continue operations in the U.S. temporarily. Despite this extension, Apple and Google hesitated to restore the app, citing potential legal liabilities. The recent letter from Attorney General Bondi provided the necessary assurance, leading to TikTok’s reinstatement on February 13.
TikTok boasts approximately 170 million American users and was the second most downloaded app in the U.S. in 2024, with over 52 million downloads. The platform’s return is significant for its U.S. user base, who had been unable to download or update the app during its absence from the app stores.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain. The extended deadline is set to expire on April 5, 2025. If ByteDance fails to divest its U.S. operations by then, the app could face another ban. Discussions are reportedly underway for a potential acquisition of TikTok’s U.S. operations by American companies, including Oracle and other investors, to address national security concerns.
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