Trump’s contempt for Tiktok ban prompts immunity commitments to 10 tech companies
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told at least 10 tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google, that they “have no responsibility” to support Tiktok, which they disclosed Thursday despite the federal government banning services to popular video-sharing apps.
Bondi refused to enforce a law passed by Congress last year that categorizes Tiktok as a national security risk because it has ties to China and prohibits the allocation of apps to U.S. consumers, according to a order from President Donald Trump.
Tiktok could avoid the ban by reducing ownership of Chinese entities in their U.S. operations, and Trump described the negotiations as persistent. But constitutional experts questioned the legitimacy of Trump’s execution orders because these sales meetings delayed the enforcement of the ban.
Tiktok disappeared from Apple and Google’s U.S. app stores earlier this year after the ban came into effect. But while the law is still in the book, Tiktok only returned to the store after a 26-day break. Several media outlets at the time said Bundy wrote to Apple and Google that they would not face prosecution. But the letters were not disclosed publicly until Thursday.
Silicon Valley software engineer Tony Tan has sought letters under the Freedom of Information Act. The Justice Department initially claimed it had no record of meeting Tan’s requirements. He sued the department, which eventually sent him several letters Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disclosures show that the first letter was dated January 30 and sent to four companies – Microv, Google, Apple and content delivery network provider. “Google does not violate the bill, and Google does not assume any responsibility for the bill during the bill,” wrote then-Attorney General James McHenry. “Google may continue to provide services to Tiktok, which is considered by the Executive Order without violating the bill without any legal liability.”
According to the documents released, Bondi took over as attorney general in early February, and a few days later, Google and Apple wrote to her respectively. “The Justice Department also irrevocably abandoned any U.S. claims against companies that violate the Tiktok ban,” Bondy wrote in a Feb. 11 response.
After Microsoft’s inquiry, it also received a letter “irrevocably waiver of any claim”. A letter to Amazon on March 10, data center company Digital Realty and mobile service giant T-Mobile included similar languages.
In early April, Trump expanded the negotiation window for Tiktok sale and further delayed the enforcement of the ban. This led to 10 letters from April 5, including content delivery providers Akamai, Cloud Cloud Oracle and TV Maker LG. Of these letters, only Apple and Google’s letters refer to the “irrevocable abandonment” oath. But three days later, Bondi sent a new version to Microsoft, including the language.
Microsoft and nine other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tan obtained the letter and filed a lawsuit against Google’s parent company Alphabet last month, accusing it of retaining information about its decision to continue distributing Tiktok in its gaming store. (Google previously declined to comment on the litigation’s link.) He fears that Bundy’s promises are non-binding and that Trump or a future president may eventually sue tech companies that are currently supporting Tiktok. Google could face billions of dollars in fines if the ban is violated.
