Trumps TikTok threats see CEO resign after just four months

Kevin Mayer announced his resignation as CEO of TikTok on Thursday, August 27.

This decision was motivated by increasing scrutiny of the Trump US Administration, which is threatening to veto the use of the platform within the country.

“In recent weeks, as the political environment changed abruptly, I have reflected on the demands of structural corporate changes, and what that means for the global position I accepted,” Mayer said in a text to TikTok employees.

“In this context, and while we wait to reach a resolution soon, I want to let you know that with great regret I have decided to leave the company.”

TikTok hired Mayer in mid-May. It put him at the forefront of business development and jumped into new areas, like music and video games.

The executive had been one of the executors of Disney’s expansion in the last decade and last year he led the launch of Disney +, the platform with which the organisation has made its way into the streaming sector.

“I was happy with my job at Disney,” Mayer said on the day of his departure, “but the dimension of this opportunity was something that I could not pass up.”

In addition to his responsibilities as CEO of TikTok, Mayer also assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer for ByteDance.

“We are aware that the political dynamics of the past few months have significantly changed the scope of Kevin’s position going forward, and we fully respect his decision,” the company said in a statement.

The exact nature of the US restrictions will not be known until they go into effect.

In mid-September, the established period of 45 days runs out. Several companies, including Microsoft, have started negotiations with ByteDance to take over the platform’s operations in the US and other Western countries, an option that today seems the most likely.