Popular video-sharing platform TikTok has announced that Android users in the United States can now download and install the app directly from its official website. This move is widely seen as a strategy to bypass the restrictions imposed in the country, according to a report by Reuters.
Despite the new U.S. law that took effect on January 19, Apple and Google have yet to reinstate TikTok on their app stores. Under the new legislation, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, must divest the platform in the interest of national security, or else face a ban in the United States.
However, President Donald Trump, who assumed office the day after the law took effect, has issued an executive order delaying its enforcement for 75 days. He stated that discussions regarding TikTok’s sale are ongoing with multiple parties, and a decision on the matter could be reached within this month.
TikTok currently has approximately 170 million users in the United States. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order directing the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund within the next year, which, according to speculation, could potentially acquire TikTok.
U.S. officials have expressed concerns that ByteDance’s control over TikTok poses a risk of data misuse involving American citizens. However, TikTok has countered these claims, asserting that U.S. officials are misrepresenting its ties to China. The company has stated that data belonging to American users, along with its content recommendation engine, is securely stored on Oracle’s cloud servers within the United States. Furthermore, decisions regarding content moderation for American users are also made domestically.
