Letters prove: U.S. government promised TIKTOK service providers impunity

It was apparently clear from the outset: a whole range of large tech companies do not have to fear any consequences if they further supply the Tikial Media platform Tikok Social Media platform banned in the USA. The US Ministry of Justice assured Amazon and Co in advance that possible legal consequences would be prevented-both in their own house and on the part of possible plaintiffs.

The Chinese platform Tikok is still online in the United States. For fear of espionage and influence by China, the US Senate had decided a law last year to force the Tikok to hire the company in the USA, or to sell the corresponding parts of its company to a US buyer. Neither has happened to date. Among other things, because US President Donald Trump Tiktok, who has been in office since January, granted a deadline extension for the sale several times.

Google shareholder complained of publication

The law also would have to fear punishments. App Stores, which continue to keep Tikok in their range, threaten, for example, theoretically punishes of several thousand US dollars per download. In the meantime, however, it became known that the US government assured Tikkok’s service providers that they had nothing to fear.

How far -reaching this impunity went is only now becoming known. Because Google shareholder Zhaocheng Anthony Than has succeeded in complaining about the publication of corresponding letters from the US government to affected companies. He referred to the Freedom of Information Act, the American Freedom of Information Act.

Attorney General promised impunity

The documents show how Attorney General Pam Bondi and her predecessor, the temporarily used James Mchenry Amazon, Apple and Co promised to prevent any consequences that the new law could have for them. And not only that: the persecution by other, such as civil lawsuits by private individuals or organizations, the US Justice Ministry would also prevent Bondi and Mchenry in the letters.

According to the tech magazine, the promise includes The the submission of Amicus briefs or the “intervention in legal disputes”. Amicus briefs are statements on a legal dispute that a party that is not involved in the proceedings can submit.

Mchenry apparently sent the first round of the letters on January 30th. Ten days earlier, Trump had postponed the implementation of the Tikok ban for the first time by decree. Bondi then sent a number of follow -up, for example on April 5, shortly after Trump had extended the suspension of the law until mid -June. Among the recipients were app store operators, cloud providers, telecommunications providers and others. The tech magazine Theverge now also made their full list public:

• Apple
• Google
• Amazon
• Microsoft
• Akamai Technologies
• Digital Realty Trust
• Fastly
• T-Mobile US
• Oracle
• LG Electronics USA

Without these service providers, Tikok’s operation would probably be massively affected in the United States. Trump has now granted a further extension of the deadline for the sale of the US division by mid-September. The Republican used to be opposed to Tikkoks himself and even wanted to achieve a ban during his first term. But he changed his TikTok course. He also attributes his success in the second presidential election campaign, especially among young people.