TikTok Enables Android Downloads via Website Kits

In an attempt to get around restrictions on the well-known platform in the US, TikTok announced on Friday that it was enabling Android users in the US to download and connect to the short video app using package kits on its website.

Since a U.S. law took effect on January 19 requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban, Apple and Google have not reinstated TikTok to their app stores.

President Donald Trump, who took office the day after the law went into effect, signed an executive order seeking to delay by 75 days the enforcement of the law.

Read Also: President Trump Delays TikTok Ban to Allow Negotiations

Saying that he was in talks with multiple people over TikTok’s purchase and would likely have a decision on the app’s future this month. It has about 170 million American users.

Recall that the president signed an executive order on Monday ordering the creation of a sovereign wealth fund within the next year, saying it could potentially buy TikTok.

U.S. officials have warned Americans on data being misused by ByteDance, though free speech advocates have opposed TikTok’s ban under the law, which was overwhelmingly passed by Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden.

The company says U.S. officials misstated its ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the United States on cloud servers operated by Oracle, while content moderation decisions that affect American users are also made in the United States.

REUTERS/Chidimma Gold