In response to growing regulatory pressure in the United States, Tick tock reportedly decided to remove a key executive, Erich Andersenwho has been at the forefront of the company’s efforts to allay national security concerns.
What happened: Andersen, the US-based general counsel for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd.has conducted discussions with the US government to demonstrate that the app is taking adequate measures to prevent China from accessing US users’ data or influencing their feeds.
Despite these efforts, the company failed to convince the US government’s interagency panel to conduct a security review of the app and lawmakers in Washington. The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Saturday that would require TikTok to be sold by its Chinese parent company or else it will be banned in the United States.
Andersen’s role has been gradually reduced over the past year and a half, and TikTok limited his responsibilities in January 2023, when it stopped overseeing relations with the US government. The company is now preparing to let Andersen leave his current role, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
See also: TikTok ban could take ‘billions of dollars’ out of creators’ pockets and put more than 300,000 American jobs ‘at risk’, CEO says
Divestment or ban legislation is quickly moving closer to becoming law, with the Senate expected to approve the measure next week. President Joe Biden he has already indicated his intention to sign the legislation, mandating the sale of TikTok within a year.
Because matter: The bill passed by the US House of Representatives could have a significant impact on the future of TikTok in the country, as it proposes that the app must be sold within a year or else it will be banned from US app stores. This legislation is part of a larger package aimed at providing aid and strengthening national security measures in support of Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, prominent figures such as Elon Musk have expressed their opposition to the potential TikTok ban, arguing that it contradicts the principles of free speech and expression that the United States represents.
Sign up to Benzinga’s Tech Trends Newsletter to receive all the latest technological developments directly to your inbox.
“In my opinion, TikTok should not be banned in the United States, even if such a ban could benefit Platform X,” Musk said on Friday. “To do so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression. That’s not what America stands for.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese government had previously signaled that it would interfere with the attempt to divest TikTok. Chinese authorities have said that the sale of TikTok to US buyers requires approval from the Chinese government, as it involves the transfer of Chinese technological assets.
Content recommendation algorithms, such as those behind TikTok’s notable popularity, are included in China’s list of export-controlled items.
Photo by Eliseu Geisler on Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.
Read next: If TikTok is banned, readers overwhelmingly say they will flock to a specific app
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with help from Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.