The latest TikTok ban in the US is that TikTok it is still forbiddenbut President Trump has approved the postponement of execution. While that extension may not be legal, it could still mean that TikTok’s operation in the US is still breaking the law.

But people can use it, so…

After the Supreme Court supported the bill on the sale of TikTok at the end of last week (officially called “The Protecting Americans from Apps Controlled by a Foreign Enemy Act“), was TikTok forced to close on Sunday 19in accordance with the law approved by the Senate.

But the outgoing Biden administration said it did he wouldn’t actually enforce the lawleaving it to President-elect Trump, who will be inaugurated the next day, to implement it.

That left a day of uncertainty, leading to TikTok’s shutdown over the weekend, as app stores and service providers risk fines of up to $5,000 per user if they break the law.

Trump has assured these service providers that they won’t be punished if they break the law, but Apple and Google have so far refused to support the application in its stores due to concerns about potential liabilities. Oracle, however, which runs the back-end support for TikTok, accepted Trump’s assurances, which is why TikTok is now live again for US users.

But it’s still not in the app stores because the official, approved bill passed by the Senate and signed by President Biden is now in effect.

As noted, among his first executive orders, President Trump granted TikTok a 75-day extension on the bill’s original timeline, to work out an alternative arrangement to keep it active in the U.S., but legal experts suggest that’s not legally binding because the law is already in place. If Trump had passed this before the January 19th date, it would have been applicable, but since it is being applied retrospectively, there are now concerns that all providers are indeed liable for fines and TikTok is still banned in the US.

So, TikTok is available and working for Americans. But perhaps it shouldn’t be, and without any solid plan to secure its future in the region, it remains on very shaky ground at this stage.

Does this mean Oracle will be penalized by the law?

Look, I would assume Trump would protect Oracle from prosecution, as he promised, but I can also understand why Apple and Google are hesitant. Because if they end up doing something Trump doesn’t like in the future, he’s just as likely to turn a blind eye and let them get fined if things go wrong.

Trump has also not received a full, confidential security review of the risks posed by TikTok, which could also change his approach to the app. To repeat, cumulatively, in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the vote to ban TikTok was 431 to 83meaning that the vast majority of senators, Republican and Democrat, expressed serious concerns about the application after these briefings.

We don’t know what was included in those briefings, because top secret national security information. But something they were shown promoted a 75% vote in favor of the ban.

Trump may also see things differently after receiving this briefing.

Although, again, Trump clearly sees this as a money-making venture, promising a US victory 50% ownership in TikTok as a result of his negotiations.

We’ll see how this plays out in practice, but for now TikTok isn’t entirely clear.

How this affects your planning comes down to how you view these elements.