Amid the ongoing legal battle with the U.S. government, ByteDance Ltd., the parent company of TikTok, has appointed a new global general counsel.
What Happened: John Rogovin, the former top lawyer at Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., has been named the new global general counsel at ByteDance. He also held positions at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department.
Rogovin will be reporting to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo, said TikTok in a blog post on Monday.
“Over the last few years, we have worked tirelessly to build trust and navigate unprecedented legal and regulatory environments globally,” said TikTok CEO Shou Chew in a blog post. “Building upon the strong foundation of our global legal team, I know John is eager to hit the ground running during this important time for the company.”
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Rogovin takes over from Erich Andersen, who announced his resignation in April. Andersen was the U.S.-based general counsel for TikTok and its Chinese parent company. He had been leading discussions with the U.S. government to allay national security concerns.
However, despite these efforts, the company failed to convince the U.S. government’s interagency panel conducting a security review and lawmakers in Washington.
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Why It Matters: Rogovin’s appointment follows TikTok’s lawsuit against the U.S. government, challenging a new law that would require ByteDance to sell its ownership stake in the app or face a ban.
The company argues that the law violates the First Amendment, while U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about TikTok’s ties to China posing a security risk to American users.
Last month, it was reported that TikTok has paused plans to expand its e-commerce platform in major European markets, shifting its focus to growth in the U.S. amid regulatory challenges. The decision affects the planned rollouts in Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Ireland, initially set for July, as well as in Mexico and Brazil.
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