I just attended a private TikTok briefing with TikTok lawyers and corporate. Here’s what they said. I wasn’t permitted to record or take photos, but here’s what was discussed based on my notes: 🧵

The Jan 19th shutdown "was not a stunt." It was a direct consequence of the TikTok ban bill. TikTok didn’t choose the date: Congress did. It took effect one day before Trump took office, and the app is still missing from app stores a month later. Biden did not take sufficient steps to protect the app, instead stating he would “leave it up to the next administration.” (I have thoughts on this, but I’ll share them in a different thread—keeping this one strictly informational.)

The Executive Order signed by Trump gave 75 days to find a resolution that keeps TikTok operating in the U.S. After that, April 5th is a key deadline. If nothing changes, TikTok could be forced to shut down.

Apple & Google have everything they need from the government to restore TikTok to the app stores, but they haven’t done it. Attorney General Pam Bondi is allegedly going to send a letter to Apple and Google assuring them they won’t face fines or prosecution if the companies host the app. Pam Bondi has not done so yet. Trump has already signed an executive order preventing app stores from being penalized for hosting TikTok, and it applies retroactively starting January 19, 2025.

The law punishes service providers (not TikTok directly). Apple & Google could be fined $5,000 per user for offering TikTok. With 170M U.S. users, the potential fines are massive.

Glitches will likely happen since TikTok can’t push updates or fix bugs through the app stores. Live content and coin purchases in-app are affected. On Android, sideloading is possible, but Apple doesn’t allow it.

Can or will TikTok be sold? TikTok corporate said that they will not answer this question. Corporate said take the news reports with a grain of salt, however. People claiming they’re “putting in a bid” may just be chasing headlines. Creator Fund & Payments – TikTok is committed to continue disbursing funds even if the app gets banned. But after April 5th, it's unclear how that will look.

CapCut is banned because the law was written to block all apps associated with TikTok.

ByteDance Ownership:

* 60% owned by global investors (many American)

* 20% owned by employees (~10K in the U.S.)

* 20% owned by the founder (Chinese, lives in Singapore)

* No government ownership.

Why is TikTok being targeted when other China-made tech isn’t? (Question someone asked) iPhones are made in China, yet Apple isn’t banned. TikTok corporate suggested a national privacy law would have made more sense.

Next Steps?

* TikTok still believes it has a First Amendment argument

* They're pushing for Apple & Google to restore the app 11/11