TikTok 'Not Planning On Going Anywhere' After President Trump's Proposed US Ban
CULVER CITY (CBSLA) -- A TikTok executive is disputing privacy concerns levied against the company from President Donald Trump and announced on Saturday that the social media platform, which has its U.S. headquarters in Culver City, is "not planning on going anywhere."
As some TikTok users feared they could wake up this weekend in a TikTok-less America after Trump told reporters Friday he planned to ban the app in the Chinese-made platform in the U.S., the company's U.S. General Manager appeared to give some reassurance with a message delivered straight to the app in the short-form video format users are accustomed to.
"I want to say thank you to the millions of Americans who use TikTok every day, bringing their creativity and joy into our daily lives," Vanessa Pappas started. "We've heard your outpouring of support and we want to say thank you. We're not planning on going anywhere. TikTok is a home for creators and artists to express themselves, their ideas and connect with people across different backgrounds and we are so proud of all the various communities that call TikTok their home."
"I'm also proud of our 1,500 U.S. employees who work on this app every day and the additional 10,000 jobs that we're bringing into this country over the next three years," she continued. "I'm thrilled about our U.S Creator Fund, where we just announced our $1 billion fund to support our creators, and when it comes to safety and security were building the safest app because we know its the right thing to do. So, we appreciate the support. We're here for the long run and continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok."
The Trump administration is suggesting TikTok may be sharing American data with the Chinese government, a claim the company has disputed.
Some experts disagree on the validity of the privacy concerns and say that it could be rooted in an appeal to get Americans to fear China, while others say the issue is solely about the security and safety of Americans due to the massive popularity of TikTok in the U.S.
Microsoft recently said it was in talks to buy TikTok, but details of that possible transaction remain unclear after the president signaled his opposition.
As for now, the app is still running and users have been sharing videos urging the president not to reconsider banning it.