TikTok CEO resigns amid Trump pressure to market short-video app
29 August, 2020
Hong Kong: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigned Thursday amid US pressure because of its Chinese owner to market the favorite video app, that your White House says is a security risk.
In a letter to employees, Mayer said that his decision to leave employs the “political environment has sharply changed.”
His resignation comes after US President Donald Trump ordered a ban on TikTok, unless parent company Bytedance sells its US procedures to an American company within 3 months.
“I've done significant reflection on what the organization structural changes will demand, and what this means for the global role I enrolled in,” he said in the letter. “From this backdrop, and as we be prepared to reach a resolution soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company.”
Mayer, a former Disney executive, joined TikTok as CEO in-may.
Just days ago, TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging a crackdown by the government over claims that the wildly popular social media iphone app can be utilised to spy on Americans.
TikTok, which has been downloaded 175 million times in america and greater than a billion times all over the world, argued in the suit that Trump’s order was a misuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for the reason that platform-on which users share often playful short-form videos-is not “a unique and extraordinary threat.”
Earlier this month, Trump ordered a sweeping but unspecified ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of consumer software TikTok and WeChat as the united states heightens scrutiny of Chinese technology companies, citing concerns that they may pose a threat to national security.
“We appreciate that the political dynamics of the previous few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin’s role would be in the years ahead, and fully respect his decision. We thank him for his time at the company and wish him well,” TikTok said in a statement.
Bytedance is currently in talks with Microsoft for the united states firm to get TikTok’s US operations.
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