A trio of United States Senators have sent a letter to President Donald Trump warning that his delay of the TikTok ban could result in fines of up to $850 billion for tech giants like Apple, Google, and Oracle. The officials have also highlighted that ignoring these requirements of the law is not sustainable in the long term. This development follows after TikTok was banned in the United States on January 19, only to be reinstated a few hours later after President Trump began his second term.
Apple, Google, and Oracle could face billions in fines: Key details
A letter to President Donald Trump, signed by Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-PA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), asserts that there could be massive penalties on Apple, Google, and other tech firms related to the extension of the TikTok ban delay to April 5. These three US senators have also noted that ignoring the requirements will long long-term implications for these tech firms.
Further, according to these officials, Apple and Google offering TikTok on their app stores violates the law, and they could face consequences from this administration. Oracle is also under scrutiny because it provides cloud computing services to TikTok. Moreover, as President Trump used an executive order to delay the TikTok ban rather than following the law, he might have put Apple, Google, and Oracle on the hook to pay a liability that could be valued as high as $850 billion.
The senators have also reiterated that they oppose banning TikTok completely and want the company to undergo divestment to maintain access in the future. As the 75-day extension from President Trump ends on April 5, it is unclear whether Trump will unite with the Democrats or whether TikTok will be completely banned in the country.
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