$850 billion and counting: Why Apple, Google aren’t taking any ‘risks’ with TikTok

TikTok

It lasted 14 hours but the TikTok ban got Apple and Google swiftly into action. The TikTok app in the US was removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store as soon as it went dark. While TikTok has revealed that it is restoring services in the US, the app isn’t back on App Store and neither on Play Store.

In case you are wondering why, two US senators have explained. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) issued a statement. “We commend Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft for following the law and halting operations with ByteDance and TikTok, and we encourage other companies to do the same. The law, after all, risks ruinous bankruptcy for any company who violates it,” said the two senators.

According to a report by 9to5Mac, the law — under which TikTok was removed — says that app stores can be fined close to $5,000 per user. Taking into account TikTok’s 170 million user base in the US, the fine could have gone up to $850 billion. These are tech behemoths but even then Google and Apple — even Amazon, Microsoft removed it from their app stores — aren’t taking any chances.

Donald Trump said that he will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, “so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.” He also said that the order will also confirm that there “will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”

However, Apple, Google aren’t taking any risks and have not made TikTok available on their app stores till now.