A cohort of U.S. senators has reached out to President Trump, cautioning him that his approach to the TikTok ban puts companies like Apple, Google, and Oracle at significant risk of “devastating legal repercussions.”
The three corporations could face fines totaling up to $850 billion (indeed, billion, not million) for continuing to provide access to the app, despite it being banned in the U.S. …
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Severe Liability for Apple and Others
Three U.S. senators have communicated with Trump, warning him that his management of the situation is leaving three major technology firms open to extraordinary financial risk.
While we are opposed to the TikTok ban, it is both unacceptable and impractical for your Administration to disregard legal requirements, as evidenced by your decision in January to extend the divestment deadline to April 5 […]
Instead of making a legal extension of the deadline, you instructed the Department of Justice to refrain from enforcing the law for a period of 75 days. This non-enforcement of the TikTok ban was not only unlawful but raised significant concerns regarding TikTok’s future since the law imposes a liability of up to $850 billion on companies that facilitate TikTok’s ongoing operations in the United States. This includes Oracle for offering cloud computing services to TikTok and Apple and Google for distributing TikTok through their app stores.
Additionally, the statute of limitations for violations under the Act lasts five years. Therefore, even if Oracle, Apple, or Google were assured that your executive order would shield them from immense legal liability for breaching the TikTok ban during the 75-day window, a subsequent administration could overturn that decision.
The correspondence also warns that a proposed solution by Trump—Oracle acquiring a minor stake in the company and being tasked with safeguarding U.S. user data—would not comply with legal standards.
The senators call on Trump to collaborate with Congress to lawfully extend the deadline.
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