Athira Sethu
Kochi, 14 February 2025
TikTok, the hit video-sharing platform with 170 million users in the United States, restored its services after an interruption. The platform had previously been removed, but on Thursday it reappeared in both Apple’s and Google’s app stores. The United States government originally intended to block TikTok for security reasons since it is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance. But President Donald Trump postponed the ban to April 5, so app stores would not be punished for still providing TikTok.
TikTok’s comeback came after Trump issued an executive order, which gave the app temporary reprieve to continue operating in the U.S. for 75 more days. The order reassured app store companies that they would not be fined for hosting the app. Even though TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment, the return of the app was greeted with much relief by its massive user base in the U.S.
TikTok was the second most downloaded app in the United States in 2024, with more than 52 million downloads, as per the market research company Sensor Tower. The app experienced almost an even split of downloads, with 52% being from the Apple App Store and 48% from Google Play.
In spite of this, tensions persist regarding TikTok’s future in the U.S., with fears over its connection to China. Although the app is extremely popular, with millions of American users posting and sharing videos, its fate remains uncertain as the government weighs its possible ban. President Trump’s moves to postpone the ban have provided TikTok with a temporary reprieve, but the situation is still fluid, and future events are yet to be seen.
