Washington: Two prominent US lawmakers, including Indian-American Raja Krishnamoorthi, on Friday have called on tech giants Google and Apple to remove TikTok from their app stores before a possible ban on the platform next month.  

This comes as ByteDance, the China-based owner of TikTok, faces a deadline of January 19 to divest its ownership of the app or risk an outright ban in the United States. This requirement stems from a bill signed into law by President Joe Biden in April 2023.  

In preparation for the deadline, John Moolenaar, Chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi sent letters on Friday to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and TikTok CEO Shou Chew.  

Lawmakers press for immediate action  

The lawmakers urged Apple and Google to prepare to remove TikTok from their platforms by January 19. In their letter to TikTok's CEO, they emphasized the need for the company to "immediately execute a qualified divestiture" to comply with the law.  

“Today, we sent a letter to TikTok highlighting that Congress has provided ample time—233 days and counting—for the company to take the necessary steps to comply with the law and pursue a divestment that protects US national security,” the lawmakers wrote in their letters to Cook and Pichai.  

Legal basis for the ban  

The letters follow a recent decision by the DC Circuit Court, which upheld the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act with a 3-0 opinion. Under this act, it is unlawful to provide services for distributing, maintaining, or updating foreign adversary-controlled applications, such as TikTok, through app marketplaces accessible in the United States.  

The lawmakers made it clear that Google and Apple must ensure compliance with this law by the deadline. “Under US law, [Apple and Google] must take the necessary steps to ensure it can fully comply with this requirement by January 19, 2025,” the letter stated.  

National security concerns  

The push to ban TikTok stems from growing concerns about national security risks associated with ByteDance's ties to China. Critics argue that the app could be used to gather sensitive user data or spread misinformation on behalf of the Chinese government.  

The January 19 deadline marks a critical moment for the future of TikTok in the US Without divestiture by ByteDance, the app could be barred from major platforms, cutting off access for millions of American users.  

PTI