Congress has directed Apple and Google to prepare for TikTok's removal from U.S. app stores by January 19, following a federal appeals court decision upholding legislation requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. operations or face a ban.

Key developments:

• Representatives John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi urged TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to sell the platform, citing national security concerns.

• ByteDance and TikTok filed an emergency request to temporarily block the law while awaiting Supreme Court review.

• The Department of Justice clarified that existing users can continue using TikTok, but lack of app store support will eventually make the app unusable.

Impact and Responses:

• TikTok warns that without court intervention, the app will disappear from stores on January 19, affecting potential new users and ultimately becoming "totally unusable" for existing ones.

• Senator Josh Hawley emphasized ByteDance's Chinese oversight as the core issue, stating the law "leaves no wiggle room."

• Former President Trump, who previously supported banning TikTok, has reversed his position, expressing opposition to the ban due to concerns about strengthening Meta's platforms.

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