According to news on January 28, people familiar with the matter said that ByteDance’s general counsel is no longer in charge of TikTok’s US government relations. The adjustment is part of a reshuffle by TikTok aimed at improving the company’s reputation in the face of intense U.S. national security scrutiny.
TikTok has been in contact with U.S. officials responsible for national security issues in an attempt to avoid being banned in the United States. Previously, Erich Andersen (Erich Andersen), the general counsel of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, was responsible for working with US officials to try to find a compromise that would allow TikTok to continue to be used in the US while protecting US user data. Anderson lost that role last fall, people familiar with the matter said.
A TikTok spokesperson responded by saying: “Eric’s remit has changed to enable him to focus more deeply on the company’s legal, trust and safety efforts.” It is unclear who replaced Anderson. TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, remains in that role.
Meanwhile, TikTok is awaiting a review decision from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (Cfius). The committee is a government panel focused on the risks posed by foreign control of domestic firms. The review process has stalled at the Justice Department in recent months and faced public criticism from the FBI. Anderson will continue to lead the collaboration with Cfius, the people said.
