TikTok Set to Remove Executive Tasked With Fending Off US Claims

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

April 20, 2024 at 9:47 PM EDT


TikTok is preparing to remove a key executive responsible for convincing the US government that the company was doing enough to stave off national security concerns about its connections to China, according to people familiar with the matter.

Erich Andersen, the US-based general counsel for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd., has led years-long talks with the American government meant to show that the app was doing enough to prevent China from accessing US users’ data or influencing what they see on their feeds.

Those efforts failed to win over an interagency government panel conducting a security review of the app and lawmakers in Washington weighing legislation that would force its divestiture. On Saturday, the US House approved a bill requiring TikTok to be sold by its Chinese parent or face a ban in the US.

The company is planning for Andersen to exit his current role, according to the people, who discussed the move on condition of anonymity. Andersen remains with the company for now, according to one of the people. Andersen referred questions to the company’s communications team.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-21/tiktok-set-to-remove-executive-tasked-with-fending-off-us-claims?srnd=homepage-americas

[Think. Again.]

1. But how will we see people make up silly dance steps?

[PortTack]

2. 170 million users...mostly Gen Z who are furious, and rightly so. Many make extra money for family expenses

And frump and the gqp are going to remind those 170 million ppl who signed the ban into law…COME THIS OCTOBER! Still sound okay?

[Think. Again.]

3. I don't use tik-tok so I really don't know anything about it...

...but I never thought it was any kind of important tool to society other than one of many, many toys to post or watch random things, is there more to it than that?

And how do people make money on it?

[PortTack]

4. Just like with YouTube if you create a big enough following, you get paid for the number of times your videos are viewed

And, lots of ppl have created shops and sell things. The revenue for Americans is now in the billions…and those ppl are furious this stream of revenue is to be taken away from them…mostly Gen Z. A must have voting block for President Biden.

[Think. Again.]

5. I see, and I agree Biden needs the youth vote...

Last edited Sun Apr 21, 2024, 12:56 PM - Edit history (1)

....you mentioned youtube as one alternative, aren't there many other internet gimmicks that AREN'T the national security threat that tiktok is accused of being?

I think I've heard of others (like snapchat, discord, signal, etc., seems there's a lot) but I haven't heard if they are also being banned or if they even pose the same threats.

Also, isn't it true that the parent company is actually the problem and nothing more than the sale of the tiktok business to a trusted company is being proposed?

Edit to add: I can see how this could be used as a rightwing spin against Biden, but as with all their B.S., I just don't see the actual problem. Yeah, the rightwing will try to make it into something but that certainly shouldn't interefere with our government addressing national security threats.

[PortTack]

6. TikTok is no more a national security threat than twitter or meta. They happily sell our information to china

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1J11TY/

Facebook confirms data sharing with Chinese companies. More at the link.

The Chinese government has complete control and access to all businesses in China.

TikTok is not for sale. And for good reason. The Chinese economy is in serious straights! ByteDance and TikTok make billions. Ppl don’t understand how big TikTok is! America with its 170 million users represents only 2% of their viewers. For 2% who would sell out?

[Think. Again.]

7. Isn't the security threat of tiktok the basis for this legislative action?

Is there something else going on that I'm missing?

[womanofthehills]

10. What about TEMU & SHEIN and other companies that sell cheap goods from China

Are they next?

[Think. Again.]

12. Are they? I haven't seen anything from congress about them....

...but I don't think it's cheap goods that are the national security threat.

[womanofthehills]

11. TicToc is worth 50 billion dollars

It’s a huge money maker around the world.

How Much Do TikTok Influencers Make? (2024 Data)

“With the top TikTok influencers pulling in millions of dollars per year, aspiring content creators are flocking to the platform in hopes of achieving similar success.

Of course, not everyone can become a TikTok millionaire. This report examines how much the typical content creator can expect to earn in addition to the eye-popping figures the A-listers are pulling in.”

The latest industry data shows that TikTok influencers earn an average salary of $121,765.

Here’s the breakdown from their survey:

48% earned less than $15,000.
9% earned between $15,000 and $25,000.
7% earned between $25,000 and $35,000.
5% earned between $35,000 and $50,000.
11% earned between $50,000 and $75,000.
5% earned between $75,000 and $100,000.
6% earned between $100,000 and $150,000.
7% earned $200,000 or more.

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/tiktok-earning-stats

[Think. Again.]

13. I don't think the National Security threat that Congress is concerned about...

...is related to influencer income. I thnk it has something to do with data collection.

[Marcuse]

8. Erich Anderson is still employed despite his failure, but his Chinese staffers have been terminated

[Igel]

9. How Putinesque.

Or Stalinesque.

Or Maoesque. (Euw. Like Rouseauian. Too many vowels.)

"We gave you a job."

"But it was impossible."

"So? You took the job. Possible? Who cares about 'possible'. You failed our democracy. We spit on such capitalist, bourgois notions. It's do or be done."

"Then I'm done?"

Male in charge grins.

Two hours later, exiting the building ...Alpha male says, "Yeah, I did him. Hard. Owned his ___. Several times. Not counting my, ahem, 'sceptre of power.' He'll walk funny for a while. But it'll be the video on 抖音 that really screws him. His job wasn't possible? Who cares about 'possible'. "

Yeah. Defend against totalitarian influencers. Because "because".

Tik-Tok is not a neutral actor. (Then again, i've just torpeded my argument. This day and age, find a neutral media source. When all are biased, all that's left is civil war.)

Still, China's not internal to the system that is the US: It's the worst parts of capitalism, socialism, and corporatism, glued into a single ball of wax .... But most importantly, it's an external actor.

[rockfordfile]

14. They really didn't do anything

"meant to show that the app was doing enough to prevent China from accessing US users’ data or influencing what they see on their feeds." It's still China gov. crap.

China isn't the only problem there are other countries paying "Americans" to be influencers. Some people are just weak to that crap. Just like Fox News viewers were years ago.