Since January 19, the TikTok app has no longer been available on the American stores of Apple and Google. This is the consequence of a law that requires ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the social network, to sell TikTok to an American company… or face an outright ban.
Apple and Google are dragging their feet
For a few hours last weekend, American users were unable to download the app or access the videos. Donald Trump, who has just come to power, has however given ByteDance a 75-day reprieve to find a solution, promising a sort of legal immunity to the app’s distributors and technical service providers.
While it is once again possible to view TikTok content and upload new videos, US users still cannot download, install or restore the app. Apple and Google are playing it safe, because Donald Trump’s executive order does not replace the law passed last April; in fact, it still applies, and there is no guarantee that Trump’s promises will be a sufficient shield to avoid possible sanctions.
This legal uncertainty is holding back the App Store and Play Store from putting TikTok back on their shelves. Apple has explained it in black and white: the company is required to comply with the laws, including those of the United States! This is a godsend for the smart guys who are selling iPhones containing the application on eBay at absolutely crazy prices.
You can buy an iPhone 14 Pro Max with TikTok for $13,000 (!), or an iPad for which the seller is asking $7,000. There are very few auctions for Android smartphones, for good reason: the TikTok app can be installed by sideloading. This argues for the opening of the iOS ecosystem!
However, buying one of these iPhones with TikTok will not be of much use if at the end of the reprieve, TikTok remains banned in the United States. The content will no longer be visible there either…
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