TikTok CEO Speaks Out on Ban in a Message to India Employees

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has shared a message for the company's employees in India amidst the Chinese app ban that has caused TikTok to stop working. Posted on the TikTok website, the message calls the situation an “unfortunate challenge in India” and that it is working to address the concerns of its stakeholders. Mayer says that the well-being of TikTok employees is a top priority for the company and that TikTok will do everything to “restore the positive experiences and opportunities that they can be proud of.”

“Our platform has encountered an unfortunate challenge in India,” Mayer said in the message. “However, we stay resolved and committed to our mission, and are working with stakeholders to address their concerns. TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity.”

The message goes on to state that TikTok gives over 200 million users in India a platform to express their creativity, celebrate self-expression, and share their experiences.

“Our daily audience of millions of users in India have come to rely on the joy and inspiration that TikTok provides every day in a unique and democratized environment,” Mayer said.

“These are unprecedented times but we remain committed to supporting the welfare of our TikTok creator community till this interim order is in effect,” the message reads, adding that its creator managers are working with the top creators on the platform to give them updates about what happens next and what it is doing to resolve the situation.

Mayer also says that the team has assured more than 2,000 employees that it will do everything to “restore the positive experiences and opportunities that they can be proud of” without any explanation of what exactly that means.

To recall, TikTok is one of the 59 Chinese apps that have been banned by the Government under the provisions of Section 69 of the IT Act, as well as provisions of the IT rules 2008. The Ministry of Information Technology stated that it had received reports on some mobile apps “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorised manner to servers which have locations outside India.” Following the ban, TikTok was removed from the Google Play store and stopped working for those who already had it installed.

To this, TikTok first responded by saying that it will meet with concerned government stakeholders to respond and submit clarifications, and that this is an “interim order”.

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