Apple won't return TikTok to the App Store until it's sold to a U.S. buyer

Jump to First Reply
Posted:
in iOS

Despite President Trump's temporary stay on the federal TikTok ban, it's extremely unlikely that the video-sharing app will return to the App Store anytime soon. Here's why.

TikTok's logo, with a red prohibited symbol striking it out
TikTok's status in the U.S. remains complicated
On January 19,

the U.S. government enacted a blanket ban against ByteDance apps, owners of popular apps such as TikTok, Marvel Snap, and CapCut. A day later, President Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban for 75 days.

And yet, despite that, TikTok -- or any app developed by ByteDance Ltd -- has yet to reappear on the App Store or the Google Play store. And, according to a new Apple support page, it appears as if it's going to stay that way.

Apple is obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates. Pursuant to 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.



The complete list of removed apps includes:

  • CapCut

  • Gauth: AI Study Companion

  • Hypic

  • Lark - Rooms Display

  • Lark - Team Collaboration

  • Lark Rooms Controller

  • Lemon8

  • MARVEL SNAP

  • TikTok

  • TikTok Shop Seller Center

  • TikTok Studio



Those who live in the United States and already have any of the aforementioned apps on their phones will still be able to access them. However, they can't be redownloaded if deleted or restored to a new device. Additionally, in-app purchases and new subscriptions are no longer possible.

This comes as the newest chapter in the fray between the United States and ByteDance that began in mid-2020, under the Trump administration.

For the next few years, notably the first of President Biden's administration, it seemed as though the TikTok ban was off the table. Then, in April 2024, President Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok ownership to a U.S. buyer within nine months.

ByteDance, for its part, went on record saying that it would rather shut down TikTok than divest to a U.S. company.

Days before the ban was set to take effect, then President-Elect Trump promised Americans TikTok would continue operating in the U.S.

After the ban took effect on January 19, Trump kept his promise. He delayed the ban on January 20, the day he took office.

The delay was enacted under the pretense that ByteDance would have an additional 75 days to divest ownership to a U.S. business. There's currently no word if there's been any movement on the divesture front.

The move to acquire TikTok is reminiscent of eminent domain, or the process of the government acquiring private property for public use provided it fairly compensates the original owner. However, because the only requirement is that ByteDance divests to a U.S.-based owner, who would likely retain it as private property, it does not meet the criteria.

While ByteDance was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, China does not own a majority stake in the company. As TikTok points out, Nearly 60% of TikTok is owned by institutional investors such as BlackRock, General Atlantic, and the Carlyle Group, while its founders and global employees own 20% each.



Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    Great. When it’s sold, will be subject to better regulations and stop sending way more data than it should to an adversarial nation. 

    Will see if it’s a joint venture tire or total ownership. 

    Bummer for everyone on TikTok now, but there’s no way this doesn’t get sorted. 
    watto_cobraronnbaconstang
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 19
    The move to acquire TikTok is reminiscent of eminent domain, or the process of the government acquiring private property for public use provided it fairly compensates the original owner. However, because the only requirement is that ByteDance divests to a U.S.-based owner, who would likely retain it as private property, it does not meet the criteria.

    I’m sorry, what? What move to acquire TikTok? By who?

    How did eminent domain become relevant in this discussion? This reads like a fever dream. 
    Mike Wuerthelewatto_cobra9secondkox2ronnddawson100
     2Likes 2Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 3 of 19
    As a non-American I look at all your companies the same way - they’re taking my data and that of others around the world and using it for their own gain. TikTok is no different. We need non-American companies to flourish and provide real competition. 
    watto_cobraronnbaconstangddawson100sconosciuto
     3Likes 2Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 19
    JinTechjintech Posts: 1,085member
    direktor said:
    The move to acquire TikTok is reminiscent of eminent domain, or the process of the government acquiring private property for public use provided it fairly compensates the original owner. However, because the only requirement is that ByteDance divests to a U.S.-based owner, who would likely retain it as private property, it does not meet the criteria.

    I’m sorry, what? What move to acquire TikTok? By who?

    How did eminent domain become relevant in this discussion? This reads like a fever dream. 
    Rumor has it Elon Musk is looking to buy the company. 
    watto_cobraronnbaconstangsconosciuto
     2Likes 1Dislike 1Informative
  • Reply 5 of 19
    JinTech said:
    direktor said:
    I’m sorry, what? What move to acquire TikTok? By who?

    How did eminent domain become relevant in this discussion? This reads like a fever dream. 
    Rumor has it Elon Musk is looking to buy the company. 
    Besides the fact this rumor was not previously mentioned in the article;

    Even if this happened, it’s not eminent domain. 
    watto_cobra9secondkox2ronnbaconstangsconosciuto
     4Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 19
    Let’s not forget that TikTok servers shut down and hours later servers reopened praising Trump for (no apparent reason) protecting them even though he has no authority until the 20th and he didn’t actually do anything until he signed the order today the 21st.
    watto_cobra9secondkox2ronnforegoneconclusionsconosciuto
     4Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 19
    After World War I the U.S. Navy with support from President Woodrow Wilson forced the British Marconi Company to sell its U.S. subsidiary (Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America) to American company General Electric.

    EDIT: This company then became RCA which was one of the most important US engineering companies of the 20th century.
    edited January 21
    dewmewilliamlondonwatto_cobraronnbaconstangsconosciuto
     2Likes 1Dislike 3Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,877member
    After World War I the U.S. Navy with support from President Woodrow Wilson forced the British Marconi Company to sell its U.S. subsidiary (Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America) to American company General Electric.
    Yes, and for exactly the same reasons the US is forcing ByteDance to sell its US based assets to an American company or exit the US market completely. The current actions against ByteDance do have precedence whether our not you agree with them or not. Thank you bringing this to our attention. 
    watto_cobra9secondkox2ronnmuthuk_vanalingambaconstangsconosciuto
     5Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 9 of 19
    Wouldn't TikTok become worse if bought by Musk?
    watto_cobramacxpresssconosciuto
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 19
    Let’s not forget that TikTok servers shut down and hours later servers reopened praising Trump for (no apparent reason) protecting them even though he has no authority until the 20th and he didn’t actually do anything until he signed the order today the 21st.
    That was really weird. The law doest require TikTok servers be shut down. It only stops the distribution of the app. So, blocking access to servers and then reinstating it was all just theater. Same with the executive order. The law doesn’t give the POTUS authority to randomly delay its enforcement nor does the POTUS have the authority to grant immunity to companies that are not compliant with the law. The only delay that was allowed was if there was a purchase in process. Then enacting the law could be delayed for 90 days. 


    watto_cobraronnmuthuk_vanalingambaconstangsconosciuto
     4Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 11 of 19
    I completely understand removing TikTok from the app store on January 19th, when the ban took effect, and I also understand removing it after the 75 days pass, if the company doesn’t divest to a US owned company. But not allowing access to TikTok on the App Store during the 75 day extension, when it’s loved by millions of Americans, will only result in Apple losing a lot of money through loss of sales.  People aren’t going to upgrade their devices due to not wanting to lose TikTok, and the entertainment it brings them. I hope Apple is ready to face a loss in profits, along with current and future customers.
    Graeme000ronnmuthuk_vanalingambaconstang
     0Likes 4Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 19
    I don't care about the China aspect of it. I do care that the worst people in the world are suddenly interested in saving it. Let it die.
    9secondkox2muthuk_vanalingambaconstangsconosciuto
     2Likes 2Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 19
    Wesley Hilliardwesley hilliard Posts: 374member, administrator, moderator, editor
    I completely understand removing TikTok from the app store on January 19th, when the ban took effect, and I also understand removing it after the 75 days pass, if the company doesn’t divest to a US owned company. But not allowing access to TikTok on the App Store during the 75 day extension, when it’s loved by millions of Americans, will only result in Apple losing a lot of money through loss of sales.  People aren’t going to upgrade their devices due to not wanting to lose TikTok, and the entertainment it brings them. I hope Apple is ready to face a loss in profits, along with current and future customers.
    Apple and Google haven't reinstated TikTok to their app stores. They can't, because it is against the law. It is a $5,000 per user fine which would be about $850 million.

    The executive order is actually unable to stop the justice department from seeking fines. Apple and Google are smart to avoid the risk. It'll take a sale to the US, an act of Congress or the Supreme Court overturning the original law, or an official extension provided by legislators to get it back on the app stores. Nothing less. The executive order isn't enough.
    gatorguyronnmuthuk_vanalingambaconstangsconosciuto
     4Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 14 of 19
    Users visiting from outside the United States with their Apple Account set to a country or region that is not the United States are unable to download, update, or make in-app purchases and new subscriptions inside ByteDance Ltd. apps while within the land or maritime borders of the United States.
    Interesting.

    So I guess that means using a VPN in the US will not circumvent the ban, as iOS will still detect the location as US.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 19
    Great. When it’s sold, will be subject to better regulations and stop sending way more data than it should to an adversarial nation. 
    Adversarial nations can just buy data on Americans from data brokers. They don't actually need to develop apps to do that. 
    beowulfschmidtronn
     1Like 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 16 of 19
    Great. When it’s sold, will be subject to better regulations and stop sending way more data than it should to an adversarial nation. 

    Will see if it’s a joint venture tire or total ownership. 

    Bummer for everyone on TikTok now, but there’s no way this doesn’t get sorted. 
    This also applies to the extreme right wing platform as well as Meta who has time and time again proven to screw up everything around privacy and now is in Trump’s pocket.
    As a European I see American platforms the same way as a Chinese one, with the difference that the USA is becoming an adversarial regime, and China already was. 
    What Europe needs to do is take more steps to protect our children from US & Chinese social media and start becoming more independent of these regimes. Europe has been sleeping and it’s time to wake up and move beyond regulations, pushing for investments in tech and defense.
    sconosciuto
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 17 of 19
    M68000m68000 Posts: 911member
    This sounds like good news.  But,  I could not care
    less about using “tik tok”.
    williamlondon
     0Likes 1Dislike 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 19
    Wesley Hilliardwesley hilliard Posts: 374member, administrator, moderator, editor
    Great. When it’s sold, will be subject to better regulations and stop sending way more data than it should to an adversarial nation. 

    Will see if it’s a joint venture tire or total ownership. 

    Bummer for everyone on TikTok now, but there’s no way this doesn’t get sorted. 
    This also applies to the extreme right wing platform as well as Meta who has time and time again proven to screw up everything around privacy and now is in Trump’s pocket.
    As a European I see American platforms the same way as a Chinese one, with the difference that the USA is becoming an adversarial regime, and China already was. 
    What Europe needs to do is take more steps to protect our children from US & Chinese social media and start becoming more independent of these regimes. Europe has been sleeping and it’s time to wake up and move beyond regulations, pushing for investments in tech and defense.
    The EU and UK would be smart to ban Meta platforms and X, though I doubt it'll happen.
    sconosciuto
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 19
    Perhaps the Europeans could try and invent their own social media controlled by those o so honest EU leaders. Eurochat is a good name!

    Or better still just don’t use social toxic media and then no problem.

    Great. When it’s sold, will be subject to better regulations and stop sending way more data than it should to an adversarial nation. 

    Will see if it’s a joint venture tire or total ownership. 

    Bummer for everyone on TikTok now, but there’s no way this doesn’t get sorted. 
    This also applies to the extreme right wing platform as well as Meta who has time and time again proven to screw up everything around privacy and now is in Trump’s pocket.
    As a European I see American platforms the same way as a Chinese one, with the difference that the USA is becoming an adversarial regime, and China already was. 
    What Europe needs to do is take more steps to protect our children from US & Chinese social media and start becoming more independent of these regimes. Europe has been sleeping and it’s time to wake up and move beyond regulations, pushing for investments in tech and defense.
    The EU and UK would be smart to ban Meta platforms and X, though I doubt it'll happen.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
Sign In or Register to comment.