CUPERTINO (dpa-AFX) - Apple's and Alphabet's Google have restored TikTok, the popular short video app, to their mobile app stores in the United States, after President Donald Trump delayed a ban on the Chinese app after his inauguration, and gave assurance to its tech partners of no fine or further consequences.
The iPhone maker reportedly decided to restore the app after receiving a letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, assuring that a ban wouldn't be enforced immediately.
Apple and Google had removed the app in mid January to comply with the U.S. law, Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, under which TikTok was to be banned in the United States starting January 19 on national security grounds unless ByteDance Ltd., its Chinese parent, sells it to a buyer from the U.S. or one of its allies.
The law had directed TikTok's technology partners including Apple, Google and Oracle, which hosts TikTok's content in the U.S., among others, and also to stop supporting the app or face fines of up to $5,000 per person who has access to the platform.
After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the decision to ban, the popular short-video sharing app used by over 170 million Americans had started disabling services in the country.
However, TikTok started restoring its services weeks after the app went dark, after Trump, prior to his inauguration, assured to revive its access, stating that he found the app to be fair and useful in appealing to young voters. He also gave assurance to its service providers that they would face no penalties providing TikTok to millions of Americans.
After taking office on January 20, Trump signed an executive order seeking to delay the enforcement of the law by 75 days.
Meanwhile, Trump reportedly said that the 75-day delay in enforcing a ban could be extended, but that it may not be necessary. He still hopes to make a deal to keep the app alive in the US, and that China's Xi would approve a sale to a US buyer.
Trump earlier had talked about the U.S. having a 50 percent ownership position in a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners so as to save TikTok, keep it in good hands, and allow it to stay up.
Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok, but with the approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars - maybe trillions, Trump had said.
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