Apple And Google Must Remove TikTok From US App Stores By January Or Face Hefty Fines
US lawmakers believe ByteDance's ties to the Chinese government pose a national security threat.
By Syazwan Bahri — 16 Dec 2024, 01:03 PM
Google's parent company Alphabet and Apple must be prepared to remove TikTok from their US app stores by 19 January 2025, two US lawmakers said in a letter to the companies' CEOs
The bipartisan letter came from Republican Representative John Moolenaar and Democrat Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, prominent members of the US House of Representativess'committee on China.
The lawmakers stressed that allowing TikTok to remain available after this deadline would constitute a direct violation of the law, unless ByteDance divests its ownership.
The bipartisan law signed by President Joe Biden in April requires TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese entity or face a nationwide ban
Lawmakers argue that ByteDance's connections to the Chinese government present a national security risk, sparking concerns about potential surveillance and propaganda targeting American users.
Although ByteDance has contested the law in court, a federal appeals court recently upheld the legislation, making compliance obligatory unless the Supreme Court overturns the decision.
If the law takes effect, US app stores and Internet services could face hefty fines for offering the app and its updates.
Representatives Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi have urged Apple and Google to prepare for TikTok's removal from their app stores if ByteDance fails to comply with the divestiture mandate
They have also pressed TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to proceed with selling the app, asserting that "Congress has acted decisively to safeguard national security".
Despite these demands, TikTok and ByteDance remain steadfast in their refusal to sell the platform.
ByteDance recently pushed for a temporary block of the law pending a review by the US Supreme Court
The Department of Justice (DOJ) stated on Wednesday, 11 December, that if the TikTok ban takes effect on 19 January, it would not immediately prevent Apple or Google users who already have the app from continuing to use it. However, the DOJ acknowledged that restrictions on providing support for the app would eventually render it inoperable.
In response, TikTok argued that without a court order, the law would result in the app being removed from mobile app stores by the deadline, making it inaccessible to the half of the American population that has not yet downloaded it.
TikTok also warned that the termination of support services would effectively disable the platform in the US, leaving it completely unusable.
