Apple has decided to keep TikTok and other apps from ByteDance Ltd. available on its US App Store for at least another 75 days. This decision comes after the Trump administration extended the pause on a 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 extends the timeline for TikTok’s availability. Apple declined to comment on the matter.
President Trump announced the extension on his Truth Social platform, saying that more time was needed to finalize approvals for a deal involving TikTok. In February, Apple had restored 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 commented 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.
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another illegal order by the Cheeto king only because congress won’t enforce a law