Apple and Google instructed by House committee to prepare to dump TikTok next month

Core Points - The U.S. lawmakers are urging Apple and Google to prepare for a potential ban on TikTok, which could take effect next month if ByteDance does not divest the app by January 19 [1][2] - The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a law mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok, and failure to comply will require Apple and Google to stop supporting the app on their platforms [2][3] - TikTok has argued that the law is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment rights of its 170 million users, but the court ruled that the law is designed to protect national security [5][4] Company and Industry Summary - Lawmakers have communicated with TikTok's CEO, emphasizing that the company has had 233 days to comply with the divestiture requirement since the law was enacted [4] - TikTok has filed an emergency motion to prevent the ban from taking effect, warning that a one-month ban could lead to a loss of $1.3 billion for U.S. small businesses and social media creators [5] - The involvement of Donald Trump's administration in the TikTok ban discussions is noted, with uncertainty about enforcement under the new administration [6] - Jeff Yass, a significant investor in ByteDance, has connections to Trump's Truth Social, indicating potential conflicts of interest in the ongoing discussions [7]