China’s TikTok is bypassing restrictions on its platform in the United States by allowing Android users to download the app directly from its website via Package Kits. This move comes after Apple and Google removed TikTok from their app stores following a US law that took effect on January 19. The law requires TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban due to national security concerns.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order just hours after taking oath on January 20, delaying enforcement of the law by 75 days. He also stated that he was in discussions regarding TikTok’s sale and anticipated a decision in the next few weeks. The app has approximately 170 million users in the United States. A subsequent executive order was signed directing the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, which could potentially be used to purchase TikTok.
US officials have expressed concerns about potential data misuse under ByteDance’s ownership. Free speech advocates have challenged the ban, while TikTok maintains that US officials have misrepresented its ties to China. The company asserts that its content recommendation engine and US user data are stored in the US on Oracle-operated servers, and that content moderation decisions affecting American users are made within the United States.
Tiktok’s Chinese owner may be slow-rolling negotiations for sale
TikTok’s owner ByteDance is reportedly slow-rolling negotiations for a sale while rewaiting for approval from the Chinese government. According to a report in Washington Post, China is likely to take a hard-line approach, letting TikTok’s U.S. operations die rather than approving a sale, as it holds out for a “grand deal” with Trump’s administration that includes larger concessions on trade and tech policy, the report said.
The move follows a renewal of a trade war between US and China, as China slapped tariffs on U.S. imports, in a swift response to new US duties on Chinese goods. Trump late last month said he was in talks with multiple people over buying TikTok and would likely have a decision on the popular app’s future in the next 30 days.