Lawmakers Demand TikTok Removal by January 19

U.S. lawmakers have warned Google-parent Alphabet and Apple that they must be prepared to remove TikTok from their app stores by January 19, following a federal appeals court ruling that supports a law requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest the app or face a ban. This bipartisan effort, led by Representatives John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi, comes amid national security concerns regarding TikTok's data practices. The lawmakers also urged TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to expedite the sale of the app, which is popular among 170 million Americans. The divest-or-ban law, signed by President Biden in April, allows the app to continue operating until the divestiture deadline is reached. If no action is taken by that date, hosting TikTok will become illegal for app stores in the U.S. The situation underscores the growing tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and data privacy.