It’s been a tumultuous a number of days for TikTok in america. The app went offline on Saturday night time and was faraway from the App Retailer by Apple. On Sunday afternoon, nevertheless, TikTok restored service in america due to “crucial readability” offered by President Trump.
Regardless of TikTok being on-line as soon as once more in america, nevertheless, the app stays unavailable from the App Retailer. Right here’s what you want to learn about that ever-evolving scenario.
A short timeline of the TikTok drama
- In April of 2024, President Biden signed a ban that gave TikTok’s China-linked father or mother firm to divest the app inside the subsequent 9 months or else face a ban in america.
- That timeline expired on January 19. TikTok subsequently went darkish in america on January 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The corporate was beneath no obligation to go darkish, however selected to take action anyway. As a substitute, TikTok’s companions like internet host Oracle, app retailer suppliers like Apple and Google, have been tasked with imposing the ban beneath the federal legislation.
- Moments later, Apple eliminated TikTok from the App Retailer in america and mentioned it’s “obligated to comply with the legal guidelines within the jurisdictions the place it operates.”
- At round 12:30 p.m. on January 19, TikTok introduced it was within the technique of “restoring service” in america. The corporate mentioned that President Trump had offered “the mandatory readability and assurance to our service suppliers that they are going to face no penalties offering.”
At the same time as TikTok got here again on-line in america, Apple has not added TikTok again to the App Retailer. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have additionally not added the app again to their respective app shops. It’s because Oracle and its companions have determined to take the danger of lots of of billions of {dollars} in fines beneath the “assurance” offered by Trump that he is not going to implement the ban.
Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, nevertheless, are seemingly not keen to take that danger, as we defined this morning.
What does this imply for TikTok customers?
In case you’re an iPhone consumer, this implies a number of various things. First, if you have already got TikTok in your iPhone, you may entry the service. Apple didn’t take away the TikTok app from anybody’s machine, nor did Apple play any position in blocking entry to the service for current customers.
TikTok continues to be unavailable on the App Retailer, stopping new customers from downloading it. Earlier TikTok customers who deleted the app can also’t re-download it. Furthermore, TikTok can’t obtain updates by means of the App Retailer. The final replace was launched final week.
Many of the regular performance is obtainable within the TikTok app for iPhone now that TikTok itself has restored entry to the service. For instance, TikTok’s bodily items storefront, often called TikTok Store, is absolutely practical by way of the iPhone app and Apple Pay is a cost possibility.
Nevertheless, the scenario round digital purchases made with Apple’s In-App Buy system is barely completely different.
- In-App Purchases made earlier than the TikTok federal ban went into impact on Saturday night time are absolutely accessible.
- You can not, nevertheless, make new In-App Purchases within the TikTok app for iPhone. It’s because Apple can’t legally allow this performance beneath the principles of the federal ban.
- You may make digital purchases by way of the TikTok web site and people purchases may be accessed by way of the TikTok app on iPhone.
What occurs subsequent for TikTok stays to be seen. As I used to be scripting this story, President Trump was formally sworn into workplace. Trump has instructed he’ll delay enforcement of the TikTok ban by 90 days. Trump additionally mentioned he would “like america to have a 50% possession place in a three way partnership” for TikTok. Whether or not that’s one thing ByteDance is keen to just accept stays to be seen.
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