WASHINGTON: The US government announced Thursday it would delay enforcement of a ban on TikTok, saying it would comply with a court order in favour of the Chinese-owned social media sensation. The Trump administration has insisted on the need to ban the fast-growing app, saying it has links to the Chinese government through its parent company ByteDance, and that user data could be obtained by Beijing.

The hit short-form video app - which has some 100 million users in the US - was given a reprieve after the Commerce Department said it was holding off on banning it owing to an injunction by a federal judge issued on October 30.

"The department is complying with the terms of this order," it said in a statement, adding that the ban "will not go into effect pending further legal developments."