TikTok returned to the Apple and Google app stores Thursday night, weeks after being pulled down in the wake of a US ban of the popular social media app that technically took effect in January.
Both Apple and Google had pulled the app from its stores on Jan. 19 to comply with a law passed by Congress last year that gave TikTok until that date to sell itself to a buyer deemed fit by US officials or face being banned. Companies that supported TikTok's operations after that date could potentially face hefty fines.
TikTok, itself, briefly went dark in the US, before coming back online after receiving assurances from incoming President Donald Trump that it would not be prosecuted. Trump later formalized that by signing an executive order on his first day in office directing the attorney general to not enforce the ban for 75 days. But it's unclear if that order will pass legal muster.
In the order, Trump said he plans to consult with his advisers, including the heads of relevant federal agencies, about the national security concerns posed by TikTok and "pursue a resolution that protects national security while saving a platform used by 170 million Americans."
The order could face legal challenges. It's unclear if Trump has the authority to direct the Justice Department to not enforce the law, which was passed by wide margins in both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden last year.
Some of TikTok's online service providers resumed supporting the app right away. TikTok's website and mobile apps have been operational, but the apps hadn't returned to either Apple or Google's app stores until Thursday night, making them unavailable to users that didn't have them before Jan. 19.
Lawmakers in both political parties have long voiced concerns that TikTok could be a threat to national security and could be used by the Chinese government to spy on Americans or spread disinformation to further China's agenda. TikTok continues to deny those accusations.
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Under the law, TikTok had until Jan. 19 to sell itself to a buyer deemed fit by US officials or face a federal ban. The president has the option of extending that period by 90 days, but only if certain conditions were met, such as if a sale were in progress.
TikTok expressed its thanks to Trump in a statement posted on the social media platform X when it came back online Sunday after briefly going dark Saturday night ahead of the start of the ban. TikTok CEO Shou Chew also was one of the major tech executives with a prime seat behind Trump at his inauguration.
"We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States," the statement read.
So what exactly happened over the weekend and what's next for TikTok? Here's what you need to know.
Watch this: US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
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Weekend shutdown
TikTok shut down in the US the night of Jan. 18, citing the law banning it. But Trump said the next morning that he would sign an executive order shortly after being inaugurated that would postpone the ban, prompting TikTok to come back online.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump asked the companies that provide the online support needed for TikTok to operate in the US -- and who could face hefty fines for violating the ban -- to not let the app "go dark," promising that the executive order was coming.
He went on to propose the creation of a joint venture in which the US would have a 50% position on, though he didn't specify whether he meant a US company or the US government.
"By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up," Trump said. "Without US approval, there is no TikTok. With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars -- maybe trillions."
The shutdown came after a flurry of statements heading into the weekend that made it uncertain just what would happen with TikTok when the ban started on Sunday.
TikTok said earlier that week that it would "go dark" on Jan. 19 unless it received clear assurances from government officials that the ban wouldn't be enforced. Statements issued by the Biden White House and the Department of Justice "failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance" to the service providers required to make TikTok available in the US, TikTok said in a statement on X.
But the Biden White House called TikTok's remarks a "stunt," saying there was no reason for TikTok or other companies to take any action before the Trump administration took over on Jan. 20. Also ahead of the shutdown, Trump told NBC News that he would "most likely" delay the TikTok ban for 90 days after taking office.
Those statements came after the US Supreme Court last week rejected TikTok's request to overturn the law, siding with the government's argument that the ban isn't about free speech but about ownership and national security.
Trump, who pushed for a ban during his first term, now says he's no longer in favor of one. Ahead of the oral arguments, lawyers for Trump filed an amicus brief in the case. They didn't take a side but instead asked the court to delay the ban to give Trump time to come up with a "political resolution."
What does the law do?
The law is aimed at forcing TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance to sell TikTok to a buyer American officials are OK with, as well as guaranteeing that ByteDance no longer has access to US user data or control over the TikTok algorithm.
Government officials and politicians are concerned that China could demand that TikTok hand over its US user data, then use it for intelligence purposes. They fret that China could modify TikTok's algorithm to inundate Americans with Chinese propaganda.
TikTok was given nine months to comply, hence the Jan. 19 sale deadline, at which point the government could require the removal of its app from US app stores and that other tech companies stop supporting the app and website.
TikTok has long said that a sale is not an option. Even if the 75-day extension holds, it won't solve the problem if the company still refuses to sell.
Read more: TikTok Loves to Give Financial Advice. But Don't Believe Everything You Hear
What's Trump's take?
After originally calling for a ban during his first presidency, Trump said during the 2024 campaign that he wasn't in favor of one and pledged to "save TikTok," though he didn't specify how he'd do that.
During a press conference in December, Trump pointed to the role TikTok played during the election, crediting it with helping him pick up the votes of young people.
"TikTok had an impact, and so we're taking a look at it," Trump told the press. "I have a little bit of a warm spot in my heart. I'll be honest."
Trump said in March on CNBC's Squawk Box that though he still viewed the app as a danger to national security, he no longer thought it should be banned, saying, "There are a lot of young kids on TikTok who will go crazy without it."
Trump added that banning TikTok would only boost the power of Facebook, which he referred to as an "enemy of the people."
Who has opposed the TikTok ban?
Free speech and digital rights groups, as well as some security experts, have long opposed the idea of a ban, saying that singling out TikTok doesn't do anything to solve the broader problems with social media. Several filed briefs with the high court supporting TikTok.
Instead, they argue that lawmakers would be better off passing comprehensive digital privacy laws that would protect the personal information of Americans by regulating the ability of all social media companies to collect, share and sell it.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation opposed the ban, arguing that it's unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds and filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case. But the digital rights group said Tuesday that it's also unconstitutional for Trump to ignore a law that's been passed by Congress, signed by another president and upheld by the Supreme Court.
"And we are also concerned about government pressure to force a sale based on the buyers' friendliness to the administration -- an especially pernicious type of 'jawboning' coercion," EFF Civil Liberties Director David Greene said in an EFF statement. "There are no winners here, unless Congress repeals this law."
CNET's Edward Moyer contributed to this report.
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