Bytedance have no intention of selling their TikTok app in the US, despite the threat to ban them from operating in the US if they don’t. They’re gearing up for a legal fight which at worst is likely to extend the 9 month timeline the US have given and at best would seek to overturn the TikTok ban law.
A TikTok ban really matters for the millions who rely on TikTok for their income, and it’s not limited to US citizens – many here in the UK and around the world are also generating revenue from TikTok in the US.
This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court. We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail. The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would devastate seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans. As we continue to challenge this unconstitutional ban, we will continue investing and innovating to ensure TikTok remains a space where Americans of all walks of life can safely come to share their experiences, find joy, and be inspired.
– TIkTok
Over the weekend, Erich Andersen, General Counsel for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, announced that he will be stepping down from his role in June to take on the role of special counsel to the company. In that role, he will focus on helping to drive the company’s effort to overturn the unconstitutional ban legislation in the US and other pressing legal matters.
Over the last few years, our teams have been working tirelessly on challenging legal and policy matters, including in the areas of data privacy and user safety. Erich Andersen has made great contributions and led many of our most challenging efforts successfully. I’ve always appreciated his wise counsel and dedication to TikTok. Although I am sad to see Erich leave his current role, I am delighted that he has agreed to step into the role as special counsel to focus on this very important mission facing our company.
– Shou Chew, CEO, TikTok
It was a difficult decision to step down after so many years in this role. I’m grateful to my talented global legal team, which has successfully faced every new challenge with incredible grit and maturity. Together we’ve achieved significant success in areas as diverse as data privacy, youth mental health and safety, and e-commerce transactions. I’m particularly proud of the work we’ve done to help pioneer new approaches to national security and digital sovereignty concerns and our successful court challenges to unconstitutional laws.
– Erich Andersen, General Counsel, TikTok
