Recall that the TikTok ban stemmed from fears that the Chinese government could use the app to spy on American citizens or influence public opinion through data collection and content manipulation. In April 2024, the US Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations to a non-Chinese owner by January 19, 2025, or face a complete ban.
On January 19, 2025, TikTok suspended special lead in the United States, disappearing from the Apple and Google app stores in compliance with current law. However, following Trump's inauguration on January 20, and his promise to issue an executive order to delay the ban, the service was reinstated. Despite this, the app is still not available to new users on download platforms.
The temporary suspension and subsequent reinstatement have created uncertainty among the millions of users and content creators who rely on TikTok for entertainment and business. It also poses challenges for the technology companies responsible for distributing and hosting the app, as they must navigate legal guidelines and executive orders.