The US has tightened its crackdown on ByteDance, banning the Chinese company’s apps on a number of other platforms in addition to TikTok. US-based customers will no longer be able to use well-known ByteDance apps and games starting January 19, 2025.
Developers have expressed hope for a potential return through localized versions
This action is in accordance with the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), which forbids US corporations from selling or maintaining ByteDance-owned apps unless they are sold to a company that is not located in China.
ByteDance’s gaming properties have also taken a hit, as MOONTON Games and Nuverse, both subsidiaries of ByteDance, have suspended services for games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Marvel Snap, One Punch Man: The Strongest, Watcher of Realms and Land of Empires have been removed from both Apple and Google’s app stores in the US.
This is not the first time TikTok and several other apps originating from China were banned in a specific region. India was the first to do so, when they stopped the social media app working in the country in 2020 alongside Mobile Legends and Clash of Kings, the ban of which hasn’t been lifted to date.
From the in-app pop-ups hitting screens of US users, developers have expressed hope to bring these games back, potentially as localized versions similar to the India-specific rebranding of Mobile Legends in the past.
Millions of people are now searching for alternatives as a result of these bans, which are intended to address national security issues related to ByteDance’s operations. With the ban affecting everything from productivity apps like Lark to creative tools such as Gauth, Lemon8, and CapCut, users will be definitely puzzled.
A sliver of optimism remains for the impacted applications and games as discussions of a possible resolution under President Donald Trump’s administration loom over ByteDance’s future in the US.
TikTok also emphasised the same, while the service has slowly started rolling back in the US. The company expressed gratitude to Trump for providing the clarity and assurance needed for service providers to continue supporting TikTok without facing penalties.
