Federal action forced ByteDance to divest when TikTok was banned in the US due to national security concerns regarding its Chinese ownership. The ByteDance-backed software won't be available in the US Google and Apple app stores while suitors are lined up.
The Chinese app is probably going to stay inaccessible in America until a new suitor intervenes and rescues the ByteDance-backed company's stock, since TikTok's future is still unknown due to a directive to find a US buyer or risk a ban.TikTok is reportedly not going back to the Apple or Google app stores, and leading internet content provider Mr Beast is working hard to find a buyer. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has proposed that Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison or Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchase and operate the app as a possible joint venture with the US government.
The future of TikTok is still in legal doubt after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday that postponed the implementation of a 75-day ban on the Chinese-owned app because it is unclear whether the directive is lawful, according to AppleInsider.
The TikTok ban appeared improbable in the early years of President Biden's administration. However, according to AppleInsider, President Biden passed legislation in April 2024 mandating that ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok, sell its ownership of the app to a U.S. bidder within nine months.
Is MrBeast looking for suitors on TikTok?
The internet's highest-paid content creator and well-known YouTuber, MrBeast, is apparently in negotiations with many firms interested in acquiring TikTok prior to a possible ban, Bloomberg said, amid growing difficulties in finding a suitable buyer.
Although MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is interacting with several parties in order to align with a winning offer, he has not committed to any one proposal. One of the groups, which was revealed on Tuesday, is made up of American investors under the direction of Employer.com founder and internet entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley.
According to a person familiar with the situation, Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence firm, presented ByteDance with a proposal on Saturday to create a new company that would combine Perplexity with TikTok's U.S. operations, the Associated Press said.
The ByteDance algorithm, which drives TikTok's video suggestions based on users' interests, is not being sought to be purchased.
Why hasn't TikTok returned to the Apple Store yet?
Because TikTok was required "to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," Apple took the app out of the App Store.
"The non-enforcement promise offers minimal security," Alan Z. Rozenshtein wrote for Lawfare, according to a report by 9TO5Mac. Even when defendants risk severe repercussions for relying on such pledges, courts hardly ever consider them to be legally obligatory.
A future administration, "taking advantage of the five-year statute of limitations, would almost certainly be free to pursue violations regardless of Trump's stance," he said, adding that Trump might alter his mind at any time or selectively enforce against businesses that lose political favor.
When is TikTok going to return to the App Store?
After a brief outage over the weekend, ByteDance brought TikTok back to operation for users in the United States on Sunday. Existing users cannot upgrade the app, and people who removed it cannot download it now that it is back online.
A legislation in the United States requires TikTok to break its relationship with its Chinese parent business, ByteDance, or risk being banned from the country.
Around 10:30 p.m. on January 18, the well-known social media site went offline after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law mandating TikTok to cut its connections with its parent firm, ByteDance, based in China. If not, the app would be deleted by January 19 from U.S. app stores. Users who were frustrated soon turnedto other social media platforms like X and Instagram to express their discontent with the ban.
What occurs if users look up "TikTok" in the app store?
In the Google Play Store, Android users who search for TikTok are met with an unclickable icon that reads, "Looking for TikTok?" and a message that reads, "Downloads for this app are paused due to current U.S. legal requirements," according to a USA Today article.
The message "TikTok and other ByteDance apps are not available in the country or region you're in" appears when iPhone users search for the app. According to USA Today, a popup to "learn more" directs users to a support page with further information about TikTok and other ByteDance-owned apps' accessibility in the US.
What is being discussed on social media?
Social media is overflowing with memes, and TikTok users are showing angst against US President Donald Trump's decision.
What led to TikTok's ban?
With more than 170 million users in the US, TikTok has long been a political hot potato because of its Chinese ownership.
Due to national security concerns, TikTok was prohibited in the United States, and ByteDance, the firm's parent company, was obliged by law to cut off its connections with US activities. The Chinese government may utilize TikTok to surveil Americans or covertly sway public opinion through content manipulation, according to numerous warnings from US officials.
For years, officials and lawmakers have voiced worries about the threats to national security that TikTok's ties to China represent. Congress acted last year and passed a statute requiring ByteDance to sell its TikTok ownership or risk being shut out of the U.S. market. The law stipulated that compliance must be achieved by January 19.
According to Kirk McGill, a constitutional and commercial law lawyer, Trump does not have the legal right to halt the ban, but it is unlikely that the matter would be heard in court before TikTok finds a buyer.
If Apple or Google comply with Trump's requests, "it's also unlikely that they will face legal consequences, given that his administration would have to initiate any prosecutions," McGill stated.
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