TikTok US ban: Trump proposes 50% US ownership as Apple, Google remove app on stores

• Donald Trump is proposing a 50 per cent US ownership of TitTok following the ban of the app in the country
• The app has become unavailable on Apple and Google app stores
• TikTok faced a legal battle in the US over data collection allegations

 In a move to salvage the ban on TikTok in the United States of America, Donald Trump has proposed a 50 per cent ownership of the app by US investors.

Trump said after his swearing-in on Monday, January 20, he would make an executive order to “extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.

“I would like the United States to have a 50 per cent ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to say up,” he wrote on Social Truth.

According to Trump, the executive order would specify there would be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before his order.

Earlier, Trump said he would likely grant a 90-day reprieve to TikTok from the ban he takes office.

TikTok is unavailable on Apple, Google app stores following US ban

TikTok has been removed from Apple and Google app stores following the ban of the app in the US.

The US government asked ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest the app or face a ban, stemming from the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, upheld by the Supreme Court and signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2024.

The app’s removal from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store means the 170 million TikTok users in the US can no longer download or use the app.

The message displayed for users attempting to access TikTok on Apple’s App Store is: “This app is currently not available in your country or region.”

On the Google Play Store, it reads: “We’re sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server.” 

TikTok also informed users of the app’s impending shutdown in a notice on its platform, adding that it is optimistic about a solution to reinstate the app with a Donald Trump presidency.

It said, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. 

“We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”

Other apps owned by ByteDance, including CapCut, a video editing app, and Lemon8, a lifestyle and social app, were also unavailable on app stores for users in the US.

Lemon8’s notice read: “Sorry, Lemon8 isn’t available right now.”

TikTok’s legal battle over users’ data collection allegations

TikTok has been enmeshed in a legal battle with the US government over its data collection practices and alleged link to the Chinese government.

To address this, President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill on April 24, 2024, asking ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest its controlling stake in the app within six months or face a ban in the United States.

In May 2024, TikTok challenged the bill in court, saying it violated free speech rights and the First Amendment protections for the 170 million users of TikTok in the US.

The US government filed a separate lawsuit against TikTok in August 2024, accusing the platform of unlawfully collecting children’s data and failing to address parental requests to delete their children’s accounts.

In December 2024, a federal appeals court rejected TikTok’s legal bid to overturn the law, prompting the app’s lawyers to approach the Supreme Court.

They argued that the law violated the free speech protections of TikTok’s users, adding that it has become a platform for users’ expression, creativity, and community engagement.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law on the grounds of national security. The justices ruled that ByteDance must divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, or face an effective ban.

TikTok’s founder, Zhang Yiming, is China’s richest person

Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that the 41-year-old founder of TikTok and the co-founder of ByteDance, the app’s parent company, Zhang Yiming, has become China’s richest man.

Zhang is now worth $49.3 billion (£38 billion), a 43 per cent increase to his worth in 2023, according to a rich list produced by the Hurun Research Institute.