New York (TDI): TikTok has returned to Apple and Google app stores nearly a month after a new security law forced its removal.
The Chinese-owned social media platform faces being banned in the US.
The popular app briefly went dark late on January 18 and disappeared from app stores to the dismay of millions of users.
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The service was restored when new United States President Donald Trump started his second term and ordered a 75-day pause on enforcing the law, which his predecessor, Joe Biden, inked and passed overwhelmingly by Congress.
However, TikTok has remained unavailable in Apple and Google app stores until now.
Trump has suggested a joint venture between the US and TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, although he did not provide details about how this could be achieved.
Read More: TikTok to Go Dark in US Tomorrow
“With TikTok, I have the right to either sell it or close it,” the president said soon after ordering the pause.
“We may have to get approval from Beijing too, but I’m sure they’ll approve it, or that would be a hostile act” that could be reciprocated with tariffs, he stated.
Companies that violate the law, which remains officially in effect, face penalties of up to $5,000 per user if the app is accessed.
