The tumultuous saga of TikTok in America is far from over. Despite the ban orders taking effect momentarily, as soon as Donald Trump assumed the presidency, he issued a decree to postpone the implementation of this law for 75 days. This allowed TikTok and other apps to continue operating as usual.
However, that is contingent on having the TikTok app already installed on your smartphone. To this day, TikTok remains unavailable for download on both the App Store and Play Store in the United States, following its removal on January 19th. Consequently, users who deleted the app, switched to a new phone, or purchased new devices are unable to download TikTok for usage.
Apple and Google have yet to comment on why the app has not returned. Though some apps have started to reappear, like Marvel Snap, legal experts suggest that both Apple and Google may be safeguarding themselves from potential legal issues. If there are future litigations against the Trump order, they may opt to halt downloads preemptively.
As a result of TikTok’s absence from American app stores, individuals are resorting to eBay to purchase smartphones pre-installed with TikTok, with some prices soaring up to $30,000 (1 million baht). Whether these devices are actually being bought remains uncertain.
TLDR: Despite the temporary halt on banning TikTok, the app remains unavailable for download in the US, leading to inflated prices for smartphones with TikTok pre-installed on eBay.
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