Six months after Tiktok was banned, we still don’t know what its fate in the United States will be. However, we do have a new understanding of the legal quarrel that allows Apple, Google and other platforms to continue supporting the app.
If you remember, Tiktok was “banned” only for a few hours in January and legally. The app’s service was quickly restored on January 19, 2025, but the app didn’t return to Apple and Google’s app stores until February 13. Reports at the time indicated that the companies were potentially liable for the potential liability for protecting Americans from foreign opponents’ control application laws.
As early as February, axis Others reported that the Justice Department had provided a “guarantee” to the technology platforms that they would not be punished for violating the law. Now, we know for sure that Attorney General Pam Bondi told his partner that the letter sent it to Apple, Google, Amazon, Oracle and other companies has been made public. The letters were disclosed in a Freedom of Information Act request filed by software engineer and Google shareholder Tony Tan, because the search giant did not comply with the Tiktok ban.
Bondy told Apple and Google in a letter dated January 30, 2025 that “the president has determined that the sudden closure of the Tiktok platform will interfere with the president’s constitutional duties to take care of U.S. national security and diplomatic affairs.” It continued to point out that Apple and Google “may continue to provide services to Tiktok…without any legal liability.”
A subsequent date for Bondi was April 5, 2025 (the day after Trump gave Tiktok a 75-day probation), and Bondi told the companies that “the Justice Department could also irrevocably abandon the scope of coverage covered by the U.S. for the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of the “behavior” of
These letters can be read below.
The law has now been suspended since Trump took office. Earlier this week, he could reveal details about Tiktok’s new ownership in “about two weeks.”
