US EditionHere Are the Letters that Let Apple and Google Ignore the TikTok Ban
- On April 5, 2025, the US Department of Justice issued letters to Apple, Google, and other companies confirming they would not face legal consequences for continuing to provide services to TikTok despite the ongoing federal restrictions.
- These letters addressed worries stemming from a law that mandated removing TikTok from U.S. platforms due to national security concerns, a requirement that was postponed multiple times through enforcement delays and presidential directives.
- The letters showed that Acting Attorney General James McHenry and Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed the president has constitutional authority to override the ban, and they irrevocably relinquished claims against tech companies for violating the Act during specified periods.
- James McHenry wrote that Google incurred no violation or liability during the Covered Period and may continue providing services to TikTok without legal penalty, while Bondi told companies the Justice Department would prevent enforcement attempts and support them in litigation.
- After the letter disclosures, Silicon Valley engineer Tony Tan sued Alphabet for withholding information about TikTok's distribution on Google Play, underscoring lingering uncertainty about TikTok’s US operations and future enforcement.
11 Articles
11 Articles
‘Just breathtaking’: Legal experts astounded by Trump’s sweeping TikTok argument
President Donald Trump granted short-form video platform TikTok yet another 90-day extension on the law requiring its Chinese parent company to find a buyer for the platform or be subject to a ban in the United States — and newly-uncovered documents reveal the flimsy legal reasoning his administrati...
Here are the letters that let Apple and Google ignore the TikTok ban
More than six months after TikTok was briefly banned, we still don't know exactly what its fate in the US will be. But we do have new insight into the legal wrangling that has allowed Apple, Google and other platforms to continue to support the app. If you remember, TikTok was only "banned" for a matter of hours shortly before President Donald Trump took office in January and delayed enforcement of the law. The app's service was promptly restore…
Trump’s Defiance of TikTok Ban Prompted Immunity Promises to 10 Tech Companies - Overpasses For America
US attorney general Pam Bondi has told at least 10 tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, that they have “incurred no liability” for supporting TikTok despite the federal ban on providing services to the popular video-sharing app, according to letters disclosed on Thursday. Under orders from President Donald Trump, Bondi has refused to enforce a law passed by Congress last year that classifies TikTok as a national securi…
Here are the letters that convinced Google and Apple to keep TikTok online
A Freedom of Information Act request has produced letters that the US Department of Justice sent to Google, Apple, Amazon, and several other companies in order to assuage their concerns about breaking a law that banned US web services from working with TikTok. The documents — obtained by Zhaocheng Anthony Tan, a Google shareholder who sued for their release earlier this year — show Attorney General Pam Bondi and her predecessor Acting Attorney G…
Trump’s Defiance Of TikTok Ban Prompted Immunity Promises To 10 Tech Companies - Data Intelligence
US attorney general Pam Bondi has told at least 10 tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, that they have “incurred no liability” for supporting TikTok despite the federal ban on providing services to the popular video-sharing app, according to letters disclosed on Thursday. Under orders from President Donald Trump, Bondi has refused to enforce a law passed by Congress last year that classifies TikTok as a national securi…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources lean Left
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
