Senator Says US Companies Working With TikTok Could Face Billions in Liability

The Epoch Times Header

Two senators on Sunday dispelled the idea that TikTok could be brought back early after President-elect Donald Trump signaled he would issue an executive order to keep it online, with one warning that U.S. companies that do business with the Chinese-owned app could face “ruinous liability.”

“Any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability under the law, not just from [Department of Justice], but also under securities law, shareholder lawsuits, and state [attorneys general],” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote in a post on X Sunday. “Think about it.”

Cotton wrote the comment in response to a statement from TikTok that it was in the process of restoring service following Trump’s message.

In a separate statement, Cotton and fellow Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) celebrated that TikTok had gone offline, as the app shut down on Saturday night before it resumed operations on Sunday afternoon.

“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,” Cotton and Ricketts said Sunday.

“Now that the law has taken effect, there’s no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date. For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law’s qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China,” they said.

Google and Apple removed the app from their digital stores to comply with the law, which required them to do so if TikTok parent company ByteDance didn’t sell its U.S. operation by Sunday. The law, which passed with wide bipartisan support in April 2024, allows for steep fines for companies that do not comply.

The law that went into effect Sunday required ByteDance to cut ties with the platform’s U.S. operations due to national security concerns posed by the app’s Chinese ownership, noting that the company is collecting Americans’ data, a national security risk. However, the statute gave the sitting president authority to grant a 90-day extension if a viable sale was underway.

By Jack Phillips

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

A Simple Question

What is a woman? Anyone with an IQ above room temperature can answer the question. Everyone, that is, except Democrats.

Democrats Tesla Takedown is a Proven Astro Turf Movement

Elon Musk and other journalistic leaders like Joe Rogan have been asking the critical question, “Who is behind the organization of these Tesla protests?”

Can Ramaphosa and Trump Come to Terms?

Whether South Africa can quell the hostility emanating from Washington, without compromising on its national priorities, is a formidable test for a country

Maddened Europe

Viable prospects for peaceful settlement of conflict between Moscow and Kyiv exist, but Europe obsesses over threat of incursion onto European territory.

BOMBSHELL: DOGE Proves Democrats Guilty of Election Fraud!

As the old expression goes, “That didn’t take long!” Over...

News

Crawford Defeats Musk-Backed Rival to Preserve Liberal Majority on Wisconsin Supreme Court

Judge Susan Crawford, backed by in-state Democrats and supported by millions in out-of-state donations, won most expensive Supreme Court seat in state history.

Victory! Federal Court Orders Parental Notice Laws Restored to Protect Minors Seeking Abortion, in a case almost 40 years in the making.

Teaming up with public officials, the Bopp Law Firm and Nevada Right to Life, PJI took a stand in federal court to restore protections for young girls, the preborn and parents.

Trump Says Agency Heads Will Work With DOGE After Elon Musk Leaves

President Donald Trump said adviser Elon Musk will eventually have to depart from the DOGE and go back to running his companies.

FTC Chairman Raises Concerns Over Sale of 23andMe DNA Data

FTC said it was worried about the safety of the personal data of Americans who were previously customers of genetic testing company 23andMe.

Judge Dismisses COVID Lawsuit Against Former New York Gov. Cuomo

Judge dismissed class-action lawsuit against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo that blamed his admin for COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes across NY.

Tesla Firebombing Suspect Hit With Federal Charges

The U.S. Dept of Justice has filed federal charges against a suspect in connection with a firebombing attack on a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado.

What to Expect From Trump’s Global Tariffs

Trump has dubbed April 2 “Liberation Day,” when he will unveil reciprocal tariffs to level the trading field between the United States and its 200 partners.

Voters Head to Polls in 3 Key Elections in Florida, Wisconsin: What to Watch For

On April 1, voters head to the polls for three races in Florida and Wisconsin, with substantial implications for the future beyond the current contests.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central