TikTok announced that Android users in the US can download and connect to this short video sharing application directly through the company's website.
The announcement comes as Apple and Google have yet to restore TikTok to their app stores since a US law took effect on January 19, requiring TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban in the US.
President Donald Trump, who took office shortly after the law took effect, signed an executive order to delay the ban on TikTok for 75 days. He also said he was in talks with multiple parties about a possible acquisition of TikTok and expected to make a decision on the app’s future this month.
On February 3, President Trump also signed another executive order to establish a sovereign wealth fund within the next year, with the intention of acquiring TikTok.
US officials have warned that under ByteDance’s control, Americans’ data is at risk of being misused. Meanwhile, free speech advocates have opposed the TikTok ban. TikTok, for its part, has said US officials have mischaracterized its ties to China, arguing that its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the US on cloud servers operated by Oracle, while content moderation decisions affecting US users are also made in the country.
TikTok currently has about 170 million users in the US.
TH (according to VNA)