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Three days after ByteDance’s TikTok went dark and was quickly revived in the United States, users who deleted the app were anxiously checking their iPhone and Android devices to find it still unavailable to download again. Some were looking to make a quick profit from TikTok fans’ desperation and listed devices on eBay with the app purportedly downloaded for up to $50,000.
TikTok was still unable to be downloaded from the Apple and Google app stores in the United States, trapped in legal purgatory by the two tech giants. US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order on Monday delaying the enforcement of a ban on the Chinese-owned popular short-video app by 75 days, the legality of which is unclear.
TikTok resumed service after Trump’s assurances that the company and its partners would not face hefty fines to keep the app running, but it was yet to return to app stores. Other apps owned by ByteDance, including Lemon8 and CapCut, were also no longer available.
Meanwhile, the search for a buyer for TikTok continued. Trump said on Tuesday he was open to billionaire Elon Musk’s buying the app if the Tesla CEO wanted to do so. Christian McCourt, a billionaire businessman, has made a formal offer to buy TikTok, valuing the app without its algorithm at around $20 billion.
Kevin O’Leary, a celebrity entrepreneur, joined McCourt’s project to purchase TikTok, saying he would be interested in a deal but it was not possible under current law. “That 50/50 deal, I would love to work with Trump on, so would every other potential buyer… But the problem with some of these ideas is they are inconsistent with the ruling of the Supreme Court,” O’Leary said.
The back-and-forth has brought out mixed feelings from users, with some planning to abandon TikTok after seeing Trump heavily involved in the negotiations that could result in the app being sold to one of his allies in the tech industry. Others, however, want TikTok back, which is not possible as long as Apple and Google do not make it available.
Many users are struggling to access the app, with some resorting to using workarounds to gain access. One user, Lauren Scott, said she had been checking every day, but was left in limbo. “I’ve been checking every day,” she said. “Really hoping TikTok comes back to the app store ASAP, not wanting to do any of that VPN stuff to get it back,” said another user, Lauren Nader.
Google and Apple have not responded to requests for comment. US legislators last year passed a law upholding the US Supreme Court’s requirement that ByteDance sell TikTok or face a ban, citing national security concerns. Many Democratic and Republican lawmakers still want to see ByteDance sell the app.
