TikTok CEO Says US Needs China-Owned App for Social Media Competition

TikTok was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms, CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 29 July 2020 19:05 IST
Highlights
  • The US government has raised concerns about the saftey of data on TikTok
  • TikTok was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies
  • TikTok has also attracted criticism from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said social media competition would dry up without TikTok

US advertisers would be left with few choices and social media competition would dry up without TikTok, Kevin Mayer, the new CEO of the popular short video app that is owned by Chinese Internet giant ByteDance, wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

Mayer's comments come as the chief executives of Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Google owner Alphabet are set to appear before US lawmakers on Wednesday to address concerns they have become too dominant in their markets.

Advertisement

TikTok has not been invited to the hearing, but faces the prospect of US intervention after President Donald Trump and other administration officials said they were considering banning it, amid deteriorating relations between the United States and China.

A US government panel dubbed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has raised concerns about the safety of the personal data that TikTok handles under its Chinese owner, Reuters has previously reported.

Advertisement

"We believe it is essential to show users, advertisers, creators, and regulators that we are responsible and committed members of the American community that follows U.S. laws," Mayer, who stepped down as Walt Disney Co's top streaming executive earlier this year to join TikTok, wrote in the blog post.

TikTok was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms, Mayer said. He added that the app was on track to create 10,000 new US jobs.

Advertisement

TikTok has also attracted criticism from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who last year accused the app of censoring political protest. TikTok has denied the claim.

"Let's focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor - namely Facebook - disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US," Mayer wrote.

Advertisement

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters reported on Wednesday that ByteDance is considering options for TikTok to address US security concerns, including a $50 billion (roughly Rs 3.73 lakh crores) deal that would give ByteDance investors a majority stake in the app.

© Thomson Reuters 2020


Is Redmi Note 9 the perfect successor to Redmi Note 8? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: TikTok, US-China, ByteDance, Kevin Mayer
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Motorola Edge 2026 With 6.3-Inch Display Goes Official
  2. Realme P4R 5G India Launch Date, Design and Key Specifications Revealed
  3. RTX Spark-Powered Laptops Could Cost a Lot More Than Regular AI PCs
  4. motorola razr fold Is Built for People Who Expect More From Foldables
  5. Vivo X500 Pro Max Display and Battery Details Revealed in New Leak
  6. Lumio Launches 55-Inch Variants of Vision 9 (2026), Vision 7 (2026) in India
  7.  Xiaomi 18, 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max Specifications Leaked Ahead of Debut
  8. Marvel's Wolverine Gets Gameplay Trailer at State of Play, Pre-Orders Go Live
  1. UK's FCA Warns Premier League Clubs Over Unauthorised Crypto Sponsor Risks
  2. Vivo X500 Pro Max Display and Battery Details Surface Online in Early Leak; Largest Model Said to Feature 6.85-Inch Screen
  3. Google Introduces Fake Call Detection for Android Phones to Curb Call Spoofing Attacks
  4. Google Rolls Out Gemini Thinking Levels Across Platforms With 'Extended' Thinking Mode for All Users
  5. Samsung Galaxy A27 Reportedly Bags US FCC Certification Ahead of Anticipated Launch
  6. NYDFS, European Banking Authority Join Forces to Oversee, Monitor Stablecoin Activities
  7. Meta Reportedly Testing ‘Series’ Feature to Organise Instagram, Facebook Reels Into Episodic Collections
  8. Xiaomi 18 Tipped to Sport 6.4-Inch Display; Pro Models Said to Feature Dual 200-Megapixel Rear Cameras
  9. Realme P4R 5G India Launch Date Revealed Along With Design and Key Specifications
  10. Marvel's Wolverine Gets Visceral Gameplay Trailer at State of Play, Pre-Orders Now Live
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.