Apple, Google remove TikTok from app stores following US ban

• Published On: 19 January 2025 at 14:50

Apple and Google have removed TikTok from their respective app stores, complying with a U.S. law requiring ByteDance, the app’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban.

The action comes after the Supreme Court upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a bipartisan legislation signed by President Joe Biden in April 2024. The removal means TikTok is no longer available for download in the United States.

On Apple’s App Store, users attempting to access TikTok’s page now see the message: “This app is currently not available in your country or region.” Similarly, the Google Play Store says, "We're sorry, but the requested URL was not found on this server."

TikTok also issued a notice to its U.S. users, confirming the app’s impending shutdown: “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law prohibiting TikTok has been passed in the United States. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”

Lemon8, another ByteDance-owned app that recently gained traction, has also been removed from app stores and issued a similar message to users.

The ban comes after months of legal and political battles over national security concerns about TikTok's data collection practices and alleged ties to the Chinese government.

The justices ruled that ByteDance must end its operations in the United States by January 19, 2025, or face an outright ban, emphasizing Congress' authority to act in the interest of national security.

TikTok, once a cultural and creative hub for 170 million U.S. users, now faces an uncertain future. The decision has also disrupted the operations of ByteDance’s other app, Lemon8.