On the afternoon of February 13 (local time), TikTok officially returned to the Apple and Google app stores in the US, nearly a month after being removed on January 18.
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| TikTok is officially back on Apple and Google app stores in the US |
Chinese-owned social network TikTok was removed from the two major app stores, the App Store and Google Play, in the US on January 18. The decision came after the company's leadership chose to temporarily suspend the app's operations in the US market in response to a new national security law that took effect just one day later.
Nearly a month later, TikTok has officially returned to Apple and Google platforms, marking the app's return to the US market after a hiatus.
Major internet service providers like Apple, Google, and Oracle could face severe penalties for violating the Protecting Americans from Foreign-Controlled Apps Act (PAFACA), which imposes strict regulations to block technology platforms linked to countries considered to be US adversaries, ensuring data security and privacy of domestic users.
PAFACA was signed into law by former US President Joe Biden in April 2024. Under the law, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, must divest its stake in TikTok US by January 19 or face a complete ban in the country. The regulation has sparked controversy in the tech industry, as TikTok has become the focus of issues related to data control and government intervention.
TikTok argued that the new law violated the free speech rights of its more than 170 million American users, a right protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. However, the US government has maintained that TikTok's Chinese origins pose national security risks, particularly when it comes to the personal data of US citizens. In January, the Supreme Court sided with the Joe Biden administration, upholding the ban on the app.
On his first day back in the White House, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to extend the deadline for compliance with the law by 75 days, until April 5. On his personal social network Truth Social, he announced that he wanted the US to hold a 50% stake in the TikTok joint venture as a solution so that the application could continue to operate in this country.
According to CNBC, despite being removed from the App Store and Google Play for nearly a month, TikTok quickly regained about 90% of its traffic compared to before January 19, showing the strong appeal of this platform to American users.
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