USA: In response to mounting calls for the US government to outlaw the well-known video-sharing app, one of TikTok's senior-most officials in charge of ensuring user safety is leaving the organisation.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Eric Han, who has been in charge of TikTok's US trust and safety operations for years, will leave this month. Han had received a promotion in December to oversee trust and security for the business's newly walled-off US data operations.
Han has been one of TikTok's most well-known representatives in its all-out campaign to persuade sceptic lawmakers and policymakers that the app is safe for US users and should not be banned. Due to its ownership by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, TikTok is subject to a national security review and numerous bills.
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TikTok's global trust and safety team and its US-based trust and safety group, which Han had been in charge of from Los Angeles, were combined in December. Former coworkers who knew Han well claim that he became upset when he was not given the opportunity to lead the combined team but was instead given a promotion to head of trust and safety for the new US Data Security team, a position he did not want.
To allay US national security concerns, this team was specifically formed. Even though Han's position appeared to be prestigious on paper, he eventually compared it to receiving a "poison chalice" – a position that initially sounds good but leaves him open to being used as a scapegoat.
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In a contentious appearance before Congress in March, TikTok CEO Shou Chew answered inquiries about possible Chinese influence, harmful content on the platform, and user data security.
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Han did not reply to a LinkedIn message, and a TikTok representative declined to comment. Han's intention to leave was previously reported by The Verge. According to people with knowledge of the situation, the company has had difficulty finding experienced, public-facing executives willing to act as the company's spokespersons when dealing with anti-China politicians and TikTok.