Multiple Republican attorneys general have launched a probe into Apple and Google regarding their hosting of TikTok, Deep Seek and other Chinese-owned apps on their app stores.
Former President Joe Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act into law in April 2024.
The law sought to ban the social-networking app TikTok from the United States unless its Chinese parent company ByteDance divested from ownership. The law also targets other foreign-owned apps from doing business with the United States if the president determines they are a national security risk. The Supreme Court upheld the law in January.
President Donald Trump extended the deadline for ByteDance to divest from TikTok by 75 days on his first day in office, and issued a second 75-day extension in April. Google and Apple removed TikTok from the App Store and Google Play briefly in January, in accordance with federal law, but restored them to the platforms in February after Trump issued his extension.
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Tennessee Attorney General, Jonathan Skrmetti, subpoenaed the two tech giants demanding all documents regarding their decision to deplatform and restore TikTok, as well as documents related to their hosting of AI chatbots DeepSeek and Manus, both owned by Chinese companies. Attorneys General Steve Marshall, R-Al., Austin Knudsen, R-Mont., are also participating in the investigation, per the Wall Street Journal. The state AGs believe that hosting TikTok, as well as DeepSeek and other Chinese-owned apps, violates their state consumer protection laws, as well as federal law.
Tennessee AG Skrmetti told Fox News Digital their inquiry was “rooted extensively in Tennessee law” when asked if Trump’s orders have any relevance to their investigation.
“In March, my office cautioned that DeepSeek posed a risk to the data privacy of Tennesseans. Earlier this week, we provided guidance on Tennessee’s new data privacy law, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that Tennessee consumers can make informed decisions about their personal data. Our new inquiry is rooted exclusively in Tennessee law and focuses on data privacy concerns related to certain Chinese apps available through app stores. We are not engaged in enforcing any federal law regarding TikTok.” Skrmetti said.
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DeepSeek is facing a House probe over allegations it is harvesting data on Americans. Its website says it stores user data on servers located in China. New York, Texas and Virginia have banned DeepSeek from government devices. Thirty-nine states have banned TikTok from government devices.
Proponents of the “TikTok-ban” claim the social media app is little more than a tool for CCP propaganda that puts Americans, particularly, at risk of foreign surveillance. Parent groups have warned that TikTok can produce negative mental health consequences in children.
“Not only is Chinese-owned TikTok a direct threat to the United States’ national security, but it is poison to our kids. Through the Chinese-owned algorithm, TikTok promotes content that glamorizes self-harm, eating disorders, and other inappropriate content within minutes of using the app—a parent’s worst nightmare,” American Parents Coalition Executive Director Alleigh Marré said in a statement.
Trump signed an executive order essentially banning TikTok in 2020, blasting the video platform as a threat to national security. The order was overturned by Biden when he took office in Jan. 2021. Trump, who joined TikTok during the 2024 presidential election and campaigned on saving it, has appeared to downplay the threat of TikTok in recent months.
“Look, we have our telephones made in China, we have so many things made in China… is it that important for China to be spying on young people?” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in January.
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In an interview with Meet the Press that aired Sunday, Trump said he’d give Tik Tok another extension.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but I have a little warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” the President said.
Google, Apple, Manus and DeepSeek did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
