Apple Says It’s Following The Law By Removing Tiktok From The App Store

With TikTok, CapCut, and Marvel Snap unopen down successful nan US, Apple has taken nan different measurement of articulating why it’s pursuing nan norm banning ByteDance apps and removing them from nan App Stores for nan Mac, iPhone, and different devices.

Before nan prohibition went into effect, nan Biden guidance released a relationship saying enforcement of nan norm “must autumn to nan adjacent Administration.” Still, it didn’t extremity nan norm from taking effect this play aft TikTok’s entreaty to nan Supreme Court failed.

Apple is obligated to recreation nan laws successful nan jurisdictions wherever it operates. Pursuant to nan Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries — including TikTok, CapCut, Lemon8, and others — will nary longer beryllium disposable for download aliases updates connected nan App Store for users successful nan United States starting January 19, 2025.

It goes connected to opportunity that group who already personification nan apps installed won’t personification them removed, but astatine slightest for nan clip being, redownloading aliases restoring them connected a caller instrumentality will not beryllium possible, connected pinch making immoderate in-app purchases aliases subscriptions, but subscriptions tin beryllium canceled.

Meanwhile, group who sojourn nan US from different countries wherever they’re still disposable won’t beryllium tin to download aliases update apps while incorrect US borders.

Apple too provided a database of “some” of nan apps linked to ByteDance that are affected:

Now, overmuch than an afloat clip is adjacent earlier nan Trump guidance is sworn in. TikTok pushed for a overmuch definitive relationship astir nan ineligible risks providers for illustration Apple and Google mightiness look for defying nan norm successful nan meantime, but it ne'er came arsenic nan White House called TikTok’s consequence a “stunt.”

Now Apple is making clear that until point changes, it’s pursuing nan norm arsenic written, and it appears Google is doing nan aforesaid thing. Google, Apple, and TikTok personification not responded to requests for remark from The Verge.