Congress tells Apple and Google to prepare for TikTok removal

Apple and Google have been warned to prepare for the removal of TikTok from their US app stores by January 19, 2025, unless the app’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, sells it. The directive came in a letter from Congress members John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi following a Washington DC court’s refusal to delay the enforcement of the US law mandating TikTok’s divestiture. The law, passed earlier this year, aims to address concerns about Chinese government access to TikTok user data via ByteDance. Despite TikTok’s ongoing legal appeals, including plans to petition the Supreme Court, Congress members argue ByteDance has had ample time to comply. If ByteDance does not sell the app, Apple and Google will be required to halt distribution, updates, and maintenance of TikTok in the US. Existing users would still have access to the app, but without updates, its usability would diminish over time. TikTok maintains the law is unconstitutional on free speech grounds and continues to resist the sale, while legal and political developments in the coming months may influence the app’s fate.