A specific date has emerged in the US when TikTok may disappear from the Google and Apple app stores: 19 January 2025. This requirement stems from a new law upheld by the Federal Court of Appeals, Reuters reports.
Court decision and implications for TikTok
ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, attempted to challenge the law in the Federal Court of Appeal and requested a stay of the law pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case. However, the appellate court upheld the law, upholding the requirement that TikTok be sold to a US company or blocked.
The law also restricts TikTok’s ability to operate in the US if ByteDance fails to comply. The US Department of Justice emphasises that starting from 19 January 2025, the ban on support for the app will lead to its gradual inoperability, even if users who have already installed TikTok continue to use it.
Political context
On 20 January 2025, the day after TikTok’s possible ban, a new US president is scheduled to be inaugurated. Donald Trump, who is running again and has previously advocated a ban on TikTok, could influence the fate of the app if he returns to the White House.
Guidance for Google and Apple
The chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on China called on Apple and Google to be prepared to quickly remove TikTok from their platforms. He stressed that this should be done without delay once the new rules come into effect.
The outlook for TikTok
TikTok is under threat not only because of national security concerns raised by the US government, but also because of the difficulties associated with complying with the new legislation. ByteDance will most likely have to sell TikTok to an American company to avoid a complete ban.
What’s next.
The decision to block TikTok could be a turning point in US-China relations and affect more than 150 million US users of the app. Everyone is now waiting for the final decision of the Supreme Court, which could determine the fate of the popular platform in the US.
