U.S. Lawmakers Warn Apple, Google to Remove TikTok by January 19, Unless ByteDance Divests Its U.S. Operations

Dec 13, 2024, 04:31 PM

Key lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have issued a warning to Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, to prepare for the removal of TikTok from their app stores by January 19, 2024. This directive comes in the form of letters sent to the companies, emphasizing the urgency of compliance. The warning follows a recent court ruling that requires TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. Lawmakers have indicated that TikTok must provide its users and creators with a copy of their data by the deadline to facilitate a potential transition to other platforms. The situation underscores ongoing concerns regarding national security and the influence of the Chinese Communist Party over the popular social media application.