Earlier this year, there were serious discussions about banning TikTok in the United States. However, shortly after Donald Trump began his second term as President, he granted the app a reprieve from the impending ban. Not long after, around a month later, TikTok was reinstated in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. A recent letter from the Justice Department sheds light on how Apple and Google managed to bypass the TikTok ban.

You might be wondering why Apple and Google were concerned about allowing TikTok back into their app stores if the ban was no longer in place. Their apprehensions stemmed from a worry that reinstating the app would violate the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Despite this, the Justice Department had reassured both companies that they were in the clear. The letter detailing this assurance was penned by Attorney General Pam Bondi and its implications were disclosed through a Freedom of Information Act request made by Tony Tan, a software engineer and Google shareholder.

He is currently suing Google for its noncompliance with the TikTok ban. The letter, which spans 42 pages, indicates that Bondi and her predecessor, Acting Attorney General James McHenry III, promised to absolve Apple and Google from any potential violations of the relevant law. Furthermore, the Justice Department pledged to prevent any other parties from enforcing penalties. This effectively shielded Apple and Google from legal repercussions, allowing them to reintroduce TikTok to their app stores without fear of consequences.

As of now, TikTok is benefiting from its third extension against a ban. Initially, Trump provided a 75-day reprieve, intending to facilitate a deal for the app’s sale to a U.S.-owned entity. With no deal in place, this reprieve has been extended twice. Recently, Trump announced that he has “very wealthy” potential buyers lined up for TikTok, leaving the possibility of striking a deal with the Chinese government open.