A group of US senators have written to President Trump to warn him that his handling of the TikTok ban is leaving Apple, Google, and Oracle exposed to ruinous legal liability.The three companies are potentially at risk of being fined up to $850B (yes, billion not million) for continuing to offer the app despite it being banned from the US The story so farThe law requiresthe app to be sold to an American companyUntil that happens, TikTok remains banned in the USThat is, the app can be used, but US companies cant host it or offer it for downloadTikTokbriefly went offlinein the USTrump issued an executive orderpausing enforcementof the lawBut the law remains in effect, and Trumps orderis probably unlawfulApple didnt accept Trumps assurance and kept it out of the App StoreOracle chose to break the law to continue hosting it in the USApple later accepted an assurance from the DOJ and returned it to the App StoreApple and others face ruinous liabilityThree US senators have now written to Trump warning him that his handling of the matter is leaving three US tech giants exposed to unprecedented financial liability.Although we continue to oppose the TikTok ban, it is unacceptable and unworkable for your Administration to continue ignoring the requirements in the law, as you did in January by extending the divestment deadline to April 5 [][Instead of legally extending the deadline] you directed the Department of Justice to not enforce the law for 75 days. This prescribed non-enforcement of the TikTok ban was not only unlawful but also raised serious questions about TikToks future, as the law imposes liability up to $850 billion on companies for facilitating TikToks continued operations in the United States, such as Oracle for providing cloud computing services to TikTok and Apple and Google for distributing TikTok in their respective app stores.Moreover, the statute of limitations for violations of the Act is five years. As a result, even if Oracle, Apple, or Google were confident that your executive order would protect them from ruinous legal liability for violating the TikTok ban during the 75-day period, a future administration could reverse that decision.The letter also warns that one of the potential solutions proposed by Trump Oracle taking a small stake in the company and being responsible for safeguarding the data of US users would not be compliant with the law.The senators urge Trump to work with Congress to legally extend the deadline.Highlighted accessoriesPhoto byRobonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel