In a recent development, Apple has chosen to keep TikTok and other applications from ByteDance Ltd. accessible on its US App Store for an additional 75 days. This decision follows the Trump administration’s extension of the pause on a potential TikTok ban in the United States. Apple received a letter from Attorney General Pam Bondi urging compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order, which prolongs the timeline for TikTok’s availability. Apple has declined to comment on the matter.
President Trump announced the extension on his Truth Social platform, stating that more time was necessary to finalize approvals for a deal involving TikTok. In February, Apple had reinstated TikTok to its App Store after receiving assurances related to an earlier executive order that paused the ban. TikTok remains available on Google Play, though Google has not provided a statement on the situation.
The extension comes as US officials work on a probable agreement to create a US-based version of TikTok that would be majority-owned by American investors. A proposal from a consortium including Oracle Corp., Blackstone Inc., and Andreessen Horowitz suggests new investors would own 50% of TikTok’s US operations, while ByteDance’s existing US investors would hold about 30%. This arrangement would reduce ByteDance’s stake to below 20%. However, progress on the deal was complicated by Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on US trading partners, increasing levies on Chinese imports to 54%.
TikTok has faced scrutiny over its Chinese ownership, with concerns about data-sharing with the Chinese government. Although Trump initially supported banning the app, he later expressed a change in perspective, saying he had developed an appreciation for TikTok.
