Trump’s Defiance of TikTok Ban Prompted Immunity Promises to 10 Tech Companies

American Public Prosecutor Pam Bondi told at least 10 technical companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google, that she “did not bear any responsibility” to support Tiktok despite the federal ban on providing services to apply the famous video post, according to the messages that were revealed on Thursday.

Under orders by President Donald Trump, Bondi refused to implement a law approved by congress last year, classifying Tijk as a danger to national security because of his relationships with China and bars companies to distribute the application to American consumers.

Tiktok can avoid the ban by reducing the ownership of Chinese entities in its American operations, and Trump described these negotiations as continuing. But constitutional experts questioned the legitimacy of executive orders by Trump that delaying the enforcement of the ban as these sales talks came out.

Early this year, Tiktok disappeared from American Apple and Google application stores after the embargo came into effect. But although the law is still present in books, Tiktok returned to stores after a 26 -day stop. Several media at the time informed that Bondi wrote to Apple and Google and promised that they would not face prosecution. But messages have not been exposed publicly until Thursday.

Tony Tan, Silicon Valley software engineer, sought messages under the Freedom of Information Law. The Ministry of Justice initially claimed that it does not have the conforming records of Tan’s request. Laying a lawsuit against the department, which ended up issuing several messages on Thursday.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Disclosure shows that the first messages were dated on January 30 and sent to four companies – Microsoft content connection network provider, Google, Apple and the content delivery network. “Google has not committed any violation of the law, and Google did not incur any responsibility under the law during the covered period,” Acting Prosecutor James McGathri wrote. “Google may continue to provide services to Tiktok as imagined through the executive order without violating the law, and without incurring any legal responsibility.”

Bondi took over the position of Attorney General in early February, and a few days later I wrote Google and Apple separately, according to the documents issued. In February 11, Bondi wrote that “the Ministry of Justice is also irreversibly abandoning any claims that the United States may have against” companies to violate the Tijook ban.

After Microsoft inquired, I also received on March 10 a message “that is irreversibly abandoned by any claims.” A similar language was included in messages dated March 10 to Amazon, Data Center Digital Realty, and T-Mobile Cell Service.

In early April, Trump extended the negotiating window to sell Tiktok and delay the prohibition implementation. This led to a round of 10 messages on April 5, including Akamai content connection provider, Cloud Pendor Oracle and TV Maker LG. Among those messages, I only mentioned those of Apple and Google the “irreversible” pledge. But after three days, Bondi sent a new version to Microsoft including language.

Microsoft and other nine companies did not respond immediately for suspension requests.

Last month, Tan, who received the messages, filed a lawsuit against the mother of the ALPHABET mother, who accused her of blocking the information about her decision to continue to distribute Tiktok to the Play Store. (Google previously refused to comment on the wire on the lawsuit.) He is concerned that the promises of Bondi are not binding and that Trump or a future president may end up prosecuting technology companies currently supporting Tiktok. Google may face billions of dollars in fines if found in violation of the ban.