TikTok is preparing to dismiss a key executive who was tasked with persuading the US government that the company had done enough to address concerns about national security due to its ties to China, according to Bloomberg.
Erich Andersen, the American chief legal officer of TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd., has been engaged in lengthy negotiations with the US government to demonstrate the effectiveness of the app's efforts to prevent China from accessing US user data.
These efforts have not convinced the interagency government commission responsible for app security reviews, nor lawmakers in Washington considering legislation to ban TikTok.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the company plans to dismiss Andersen from his position, but for now, he will remain with the company.
"That is 100% false," said TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek, when asked for comment on whether the company is set to remove Andersen from his role.
Andersen joined the company in 2020 from Microsoft Corp., where he served as corporate vice president and chief intellectual property counsel.
Threat of banning TikTok in the US has become more real
Yesterday, April 20, the US House of Representatives approved a bill that, among other things, includes the possibility of banning TikTok in the US. The bill will now need support from the Senate and then the signature of the US President.
Previously, a similar bill was attempted in the Senate but was unsuccessful.
Now, the chances are higher as the ban on TikTok has been included in a single bill with sanctions against Iran and Russia. US President Joe Biden has already promised to sign it if approved by Congress.
For more details on what's happening with TikTok, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.