Apple has announced the removal of several apps developed by ByteDance Ltd. and its subsidiaries from the U.S. App Store, effective January 19, 2025. This action is a response to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The act requires the company to follow local laws.
The affected apps include:
- TikTok
- TikTok Studio
- TikTok Shop Seller Center
- CapCut
- Lemon8
- Hypic
- Lark (Team Collaboration, Rooms Display, Rooms Controller)
- Gauth: AI Study Companion
- MARVEL SNAP
Users who already have these apps installed can keep them on their device but redownloading or restoring these apps on new devices is no longer possible.
In-app purchases and new subscriptions are disabled for these apps and users will not receive updates for these apps.
For visitors to the United States, ByteDance apps remain available in other countries where they are currently offered but users with non-U.S. Apple accounts cannot download, update, or make in-app purchases within ByteDance apps while in the U.S.
Apple’s decision aligns with similar actions taken by Google, as both companies comply with the new legislation.
More here.