US lawmakers urge TikTok ban from Google, Apple app stores

• Published On: 14 December 2024 at 20:46

United States lawmakers are putting more pressure on TikTok, urging Alphabet and Apple to prepare to remove the app from their stores by January 19.

This follows a federal appeals court decision that upheld a law requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban.

Representatives John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi have also urged TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to divest the platform, which is used by 170 million Americans.

The move reflects growing bipartisan concern about national security risks associated with TikTok's Chinese ownership, indicating potential broader action against Chinese tech companies operating in the United States.

"Congress has taken decisive action to defend the national security of the United States and protect TikTok's American users from the Chinese Communist Party. "We urge TikTok to immediately carry out a qualified divestiture," the lawmakers wrote.

Lawmakers emphasized that TikTok had more than 230 days to complete the divestiture, warning that failure to do so would render the app illegal to distribute or update in the United States.