TikTok is accessible for existing users in the US, but new downloads are blocked from app stores.
Things got a bit messy when TikTok went dark for many Americans over the weekend. Trump stepped in, saying he’d keep it running, but the law still says it should be offline. The Supreme Court upheld a law that could ban TikTok unless it’s sold by its Chinese owner, ByteDance.
With Trump’s inauguration coming up, he promised to extend the deadline for the law. So, TikTok went offline on Saturday, but then Trump’s pledge to delay the ban changed things. TikTok said they’re working on restoring service, and they thanked Trump for making sure their service providers wouldn’t face penalties.
However, not all companies are on the same page. Apple and Google decided to block new downloads of TikTok, so if you don’t have it already, you’re out of luck. But Oracle, a key partner, is turning its servers back on to help TikTok, even with the ban looming.
The whole situation is still up in the air. Trump mentioned on his social media that companies helping TikTok wouldn’t be liable, but Apple and Google are sticking to the law. If they didn’t, they could face huge fines, which could add up to a staggering amount given TikTok’s millions of users.
Some Republican senators praised the tech companies for following the law, saying it protects them from potential bankruptcy. So, it looks like the TikTok saga is far from over, and we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
