TikTok Prepares to Fire Top Executive Amid Security Concerns

TikTok is preparing to fire a top executive responsible for convincing the US government that the app is taking all necessary measures to alleviate national security concerns related to its ties with China, according to well-informed sources.

Erich Andersen's Efforts Fall Short

Erich Andersen, TikTok's general counsel and a resident of the United States, has been leading talks with the US government to demonstrate that the app is taking all necessary measures to prevent China from accessing American users' data or influencing their content. However, these efforts have failed to convince a intergovernmental committee reviewing the app's security and lawmakers in Washington, who remain skeptical about the app's security and user data protection.

Congress Moves to Ban TikTok

The US Congress has adopted a bill aimed at banning TikTok. For years, there have been concerns in Washington about ByteDance's access to user data.

TikTok's User Base in the US

TikTok claims to have 170 million users in the United States. Informed sources told Bloomberg that the company plans to fire Andersen from his current position.

TikTok Denies Reports

However, Alex Haurek, a TikTok spokesperson, categorically denied the report, calling it "completely false, 100%." Andersen joined TikTok in 2020 from Microsoft, where he held the position of vice president and chief intellectual property counsel.