Tech

TikTok CEO Announces Shock Resignation After Trump’s Threats to Ban App

LOGGING OUT

Mayer has only been in the job for three months, but wrote in his resignation letter that the “political environment has sharply changed.”

2020-08-19T065717Z_1562649310_RC2UGI97I1AX_RTRMADP_3_USA-TIKTOK-JAPAN_hhhk02
Reuters/Dado Ruvic

The CEO of Tiktok abruptly resigned early Thursday morning, saying he could no longer work under the new “political environment.” Kevin Mayer, a former Disney executive, only joined the booming social-media company as CEO three months ago. But, since then, President Donald Trump has become obsessed with the idea of banning the Chinese-owned TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, offloads its U.S. operations to an American company. Mayer wrote in his resignation letter that his decision to leave came after the “political environment has sharply changed.” He went on: “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... 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.” ByteDance is in talks for a potential deal with Microsoft.

Read it at AP

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.