19th January 2025 – (Washington) Apple and Google have removed TikTok from their app stores, effectively halting new downloads of the popular short-form video app in the United States. This action aligns with a recently enacted U.S. law that mandates ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its ownership or face an operational ban in the country.
The delisting of TikTok follows a unanimous Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April. As a result of these developments, TikTok announced that its services would cease for American users unless the Biden administration intervened.
Upon attempting to access TikTok, users were met with notifications stating, “App Not Available” on the Apple App Store and “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now” on the Google Play store. The messages indicated that the app would not be accessible in the U.S. due to the newly implemented law.
The law stipulates that service providers must discontinue support for TikTok if ByteDance fails to execute a qualified divestiture by the deadline. Consequently, companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle face potential penalties for non-compliance. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, highlighted the platform’s significance, arguing that its use constitutes a First Amendment right, and emphasised that over seven million American businesses rely on it for revenue generation and customer engagement.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, Chew expressed gratitude towards President-elect Donald Trump, who hinted at a potential 90-day extension for TikTok’s operations, allowing for further review of the situation. Trump stated that he would announce his decision shortly, suggesting that an extension could be a viable option.
As the situation develops, TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, with the company urging the Biden administration for immediate clarification regarding the enforcement of the new law. Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed TikTok’s announcement of a service shutdown as merely a “stunt,” reiterating that the implementation of the law would fall to the next administration.
In a surprising turn, AI startup Perplexity AI has submitted a bid to acquire TikTok, proposing to merge its operations with new capital partners.
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