Tiktok boss Kevin Mayer quits over looming Trump ban
Tiktok chief executive Kevin Mayer has quit the hit video-sharing app over a looming ban rolled out by US President Donald Trump.
In a note to employees Mayer said political pressure from the White House had changed the global nature of his role.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
The shock resignation comes days after Tiktok launched legal action against the Trump administration over an executive order banning US companies from doing business with the social media platform.
Trump gave Tiktok’s Chinese owner Bytedance 90 days to sell up to an American buyer or face the ban.
The threat comes as part of a crackdown on Chinese-owned tech firms amid concerns over national security.
Mayer joined Tiktok less than three months ago, having previously served as head of streaming at Disney. He was also appointed chief operating officer of Bytedance.
Vanessa Pappas, Tiktok’s US general manager, will take over from Mayer on an interim basis.