Tech Desk 
Feb 08, 2025
In an effort to avoid restrictions on TikTok in the US, the platform has allowed Android users to connect and download the app through package kits on TikTok’s website across the country.
However, Google and Apple have not restored the short video app to their app stores following the enactment of a US law on January 19 that requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to either sell the app on national security grounds or face restrictions.
US President Donald Trump, who was sworn in the day after the law came into force, signed an order seekingt to delay its implementation by 75 days.
Trump stated that discussions regarding TikTok’s acquisition are currently underway with multiple people and that he expects a decision on the app’s future by February.
An executive order signed by Trump on Monday also directed to creation of a sovereign wealth fund within a year, stating that it could potentially acquire the short video platform.
In addition, US officials highlighted the potential risks of American data being misused under ByteDance.
Free speech advocates are against the TikTok ban, which was passed by Congress and signed by then-president Joe Biden.
The company says that US officials have misrepresented its connections to China, arguing that its content-recommendation engine and user data are stored in the US on cloud servers managed by Oracle. It also stated that content moderation decisions affecting American users are made within the country.
