Suche
Mein Konto
Apple and Google are supposed to remove TikTok from app stores by January 19th
US lawmakers are calling on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from app stores by January 19th. A national security law could spell the end of the app for millions of US users.
Apple and Google are supposed to remove TikTok from app stores by January 19th
US lawmakers are demanding tech giants Google and Apple remove TikTok from their app stores on January 19th. This request was made in a letter from the co-chairs of the House China Committee, Republican Rep. John Moolenaar and Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, to the companies' CEOs.
Background of the claim
Last week, a US federal appeals court upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok in the US or face a ban. Around 170 million Americans use the app.
Call to action
Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi also called on TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to sell the app: “Congress has acted decisively to defend the national security of the United States and protect American users of TikTok from the Chinese Communist Party,” the lawmakers wrote. “We urge TikTok to conduct a qualified divestiture immediately.”
Company reactions
Apple, Alphabet and TikTok have not yet commented on the allegations. On Monday, ByteDance and TikTok did one Emergency application to temporarily block the law while it is reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Consequences of the possible ban
The Justice Department said Wednesday that if the ban goes into effect on Jan. 19, it would "not directly prohibit further use of TikTok" by Apple or Google users who have already downloaded the app. However, it was acknowledged that the limitations on support offerings will ultimately result in the application becoming inoperable.
Warnings from TikTok
In response, TikTok said on Thursday that - pending a court order - the law means the app will be removed from app stores on January 19 and "will no longer be available to half of the population who do not already use the app." The company warned that ending support services “would incapacitate the platform in the United States and render it completely unusable.”
Political statements
ByteDance and TikTok recalled that President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to prevent a ban on TikTok. Republican Senator Josh Hawley expressed hope that ByteDance will sell TikTok since the law does not allow for exceptions. “The text of the law is what it is,” Hawley said in an interview. “The main problem is that it’s under China’s supervision – that’s the problem.”