Reasons why Alibaba hasn't ventured into TikTok like others: 850 billion reasons

This past weekend was a very tumultuous week for TikTok. While some articles reported that TikTok is returning and the issues have been resolved, it is not entirely so.

The app was removed from the App Store, and also from the app stores operated by Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. None of these companies has restored it.

Timeline of Events This Weekend

On Friday, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a law that bans TikTok in America, which means the ban will apply from January 19, 2023.

"The Biden administration stated that they do not intend to enforce the law within the last 24 hours of their term. Therefore, it will be up to Trump's decision,"

Trump initially said he needed time to consider this issue and then TikTok went offline in America on Sunday. When you try to open the app, a message appears saying that the problem was resolved when Trump took office.

We apologize, but you cannot use TikTok at the moment. There is a law prohibiting TikTok in the United States. Therefore, you cannot use it at this time. Fortunately, President Trump has stated that he will cooperate with the re-introduction of TikTok after his inauguration. Please check!

Apple said they have to comply with the law and must remove the app from the App Store.

They immediately suspended the ban on Monday and posted a social media post saying that no responsibility would be held for any violations during this period.

I am requesting the companies to ensure that TikTok does not remain dark. I will issue an injunction on Monday and extend the period until the law takes effect. This way, we can negotiate for national security. Additionally, we want to confirm that companies contributing to keeping TikTok dark under my order are not held responsible. Americans can watch our exciting inauguration on Monday and enjoy other events and conversations.

The app's access permissions were restored by ByteDance. Oracle, the host of America, probably judged that they could trust Trump's position regarding responsibility.

With the cooperation of our service providers, TikTok is restoring its services. We are grateful to our service providers for showing them the clarity and assurance needed from President Trump, which required them to respond without punishment to provide TikTok to 170 million Americans in America.

"Alibaba and Google have not tried everything"

However, Apple and Google have also not returned the app to their app stores. The reason is that two senators clearly pointed out with a short sentence: Trump is still in office, so the current ban status will continue.

"The Biden administration stated that they do not intend to enforce the law within the last 24 hours of their term. Therefore, it will be up to Trump's decision,"

Several legal scholars quoted on OnDaring Fireball pointed out that it is unclear whether Trump has the power to protect companies from legal responsibility.

These "service providers" [i.e., Oracle and its content distribution network partners] are crazy. Although Trump is not yet prime minister, he does not have any guarantees. I am looking forward to shareholder litigation - Oracle will quickly increase its liability in the billions of dollars.

"I believe that this approach was correct."

There may be legal power to exempt Trump from responsibility for actions taken when he was not present; it may or may not. Whether his words can be trusted is uncertain. All providers of the app store also do not want to take this risk, and I think this is definitely a right decision.

The iPhone does not actually take the risk of disappointing customers. Nobody expected this, and people who already had the app downloaded it on their device.

Apple may be risking dissatisfaction from Trump, but CEO Tim Cook's donation of millions of dollars and attendance at the inauguration will reduce this risk. The manufacturer of iPhones can certainly wait for a few days to see the results.