- Tiktok is now available again on the App Store and Google Play Store in the United States
- This follows a period of 75 days to the prohibition of the application, which saw the service on January 18
- It is not quite clear if an agreement will be concluded to ensure the continuous availability of Tiktok
Tiktok was made available on the App Store and Google Play Store in the United States, after the application is canceled when a prohibition confirmed the Supreme Court came into force on January 18.
This means that you can download Tiktok for free, whether you are on an iOS device like the iPhone 16 or an Android handset such as Google Pixel 9 or Samsung Galaxy S25.
The application, which had more than 150 million users in the United States in March 2023, was prohibited nationally due to concerns concerning user confidentiality and interference by elements of the Chinese state.
However, President Donald Trump has made a personal mission to keep Tiktok available in the United States; He signed an executive decree to delay the prohibition of 75 days during his first days in power, and finally hopes to force the sale of at least 50% of the American company of Tiktok to an American owner.
Although Tiktok was able to resume service on January 19, the application has been absent from application stores so far.
As The Guardian notes, the wait between Trump’s delay of Tiktok’s ban and the return of the application in digital stores perhaps from the desire for Apple and Google of insurance that they do not would not be prosecuted to host him.
Tiktok belongs to the Chinese media society bytedance, which is not the property of the Chinese state or the Chinese Communist Party, but East subject to the laws and regulations implemented by both. This has been a point of discord in American politics since Tiktok got importance in the late 2010s.
Ironically, the idea of prohibiting Tiktok was initially launched by President Donald Trump towards the end of his first mandate – due to national security problems, Trump signed an executive decree to force Bytedance to depart from the service, but This was canceled by a judicial injunction and scuttled by the new presidency of Biden.
Tiktok is back – what now?
So, that now for the fifth most used social media platform in the world?
If the current arrangement is valid, Bytedance will have until April 5 to deactivate half of Tiktok at the American property or cope with the application to be prohibited once again.
However, Trump recently reported that an extension of the deadline could be on the cards. As PK Press Club tells, Trump suggested to journalists in the oval office that an extension would be envisaged, but that it did not think it would be necessary.
Trump added that he “would take trouble for China” and suggested that a partial sale of Tiktok in the United States would be in the interest of the Chinese state.
Bytedance has so far remained categorical that Tiktok is not for sale.
However, Trump also seemed to have his confused deadlines at the same press conference, referring to a period not yet unexplained of “90 days”.
Few potential buyers have indicated any kind of serious intention to buy Tiktok. According to AP, the currently small list includes investors Frank McCourt and Kevin O’Leary, the former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the personality of the Internet Jimmy Donaldson (better known as MRBEAST).
There have also been murmurs suggesting that Elon Musk can intervene to buy the site, but it is a quieter rumor.
In the end, it is difficult to predict if Tiktok will remain for good, because it depends on the mutual agreement between a potential buyer, the American government, Byédance and the Chinese state.
Nuck Luck for Tiktok phone resellers
One of the most bizarre effects of Tiktok’s ban was the emergence of a used market for smartphones with the always installed application.
As Game Rant noted, Tiktok phones were listed on Ebay for up to $ 25,000 (around £ 20,000 / 40,000 in) following the ban, ostensibly targeting users who did not have other access to the application.
Although it is difficult to assess the number – if necessary – of these really sold phones, one can imagine that the reappearance of Tiktok on official application stores for the free will produce a major price collapse for these devices of ‘Ridiciously expensive opportunity.
At least, that’s what I hope – no one in good way should sell or buy a smartphone for this kind of money.
Anyway, whether you have one of the best phones that money can buy or stay simple with one of the best cheap phones, Tiktok is available again. What do you do with this whole situation? Do you think Tiktok remains for good? Let us know in the comments below.
