Business & Economy

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigns as Trump ban looms

Washington/Beijing, Aug 27 (efe-epa).- The chief executive of TikTok, Kevin Mayer has resigned days after the United States President Donald Trump threatened to ban the Chinese video-sharing application in his country.

The former Disney executive stepped down barely months after he was appointed as the CEO by the video platform that has rebuked Trump for his threats.

The Trump administration has accused the Chinese company of being a threat to the national security of the US.

Mayor had joined TikTok in June after resigning as the head of Disney’s streaming services and overseas media business.

US authorities recently gave TikTok’s parent company 90 days to sell the platform to an American company or face a ban.

“In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for,” Mayer said in a memo sent to employees, published by various international media outlets.

“Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company,” he said.

In a statement sent to EFE, TikTok said it “fully” respected the executive’s decision to quit.

“We appreciate that the political dynamics of the last few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin’s role would be going forward,” the platform said.

The US is set to block TikTok’s transactions from Sep. 15 over national security concerns, and has been seeking to force its sale to an American company such as Microsoft, which has shown interest in acquiring the app.

TikTok, which has more than 80 million users in the US, has been one of the fastest-growing social networks in recent years and has turned into the main source of entertainment for many adolescents as well as a marketing platform for celebrities.

China’s foreign ministry maintains that Washington’s moves to force the sale of TikTok violate the principles of the World Trade Organization.

Beijing says Trump’s offensive against TikTok is just the latest skirmish in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies, after Washington imposed restrictions on telecommunication firm Huawei, while Chinese social network WeChat – owned by tech giant Tencent – has also been targeted recently. EFE-EPA

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