TikTok ban in US: What Google and Apple have to say on removing the app from app stores

TikTok

Apple and Google have removed TikTok from their app stores in the United States in compliance with a law requiring ByteDance, the app’s parent company, to divest the platform or face a nationwide ban. This action follows the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed by President Joe Biden in April.

TikTok removed from Apple and Google app stores

Apple has removed TikTok from its App Store following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. A message on TikTok’s former app page on the App Store states, “This app is currently not available in your country or region.” Apple has also released an official statement on its support page stating, “Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates. Under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will no longer be available for download or updates on the App Store for users in the United States starting January 19, 2025.”

Apple could face penalties for failing to comply with the law, which also mandates service providers to stop supporting TikTok within the U.S. as of Sunday.

Google has also complied with the law by removing TikTok from the Google Play Store. Visitors to the app’s page now see a message stating, “We’re sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server.” Like Apple, Google has not issued a public statement directly addressing the ban or its removal of TikTok.

Google and Oracle may also face penalties if they do not adhere to the law's requirements. Oracle provides cloud computing services to TikTok and has previously expressed concerns about the law's impact on its business.

Background on the ban

The app’s removal follows the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision on Friday to uphold the law, which President Joe Biden signed in April. TikTok’s U.S. operations were halted on Saturday, with a message on its app and website notifying users that the service is no longer available. ByteDance’s other app, Lemon8, has also been made unavailable in the U.S.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew argued that the ban infringes on First Amendment rights and impacts over 7 million U.S. businesses that use the platform. The company has urged the Biden administration to reconsider.