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    TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer Resigns Amid U.S. Pressure To Sell Video App

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2010 Views
    In this July 13, 2015, file photo, then Disney chief strategy officer Kevin Mayer visits the company's "accelerator" space in Glendale, Calif. TikTok CEO Mayer resigned Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020 amid U.S. pressure for its Chinese owner to sell the popular video app, which the White House says is a security risk. His resignation comes after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a ban on TikTok, unless parent company Bytedance sells its U.S. operations to an American company within 90 days. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

    By Zen Soo, Technology Writer

    HONG KONG (AP) --

    TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigned Thursday amid U.S. pressure for its Chinese owner to sell the popular video app, which the White House says is a security risk.

    In a letter to employees, Mayer said that his decision to leave comes after the "political environment has sharply changed."

    His resignation follows President Donald Trump's order to ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations to an American company within 90 days.

    "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 said in the letter. "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 currently in talks with Microsoft for the U.S. firm to buy TikTok's U.S. operations.

    Mayer, a former Disney executive, joined TikTok as CEO in May.

    TikTok thanked Mayer. 

    "We appreciate that the political dynamics of the last few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin's role would be going forward, and fully respect his decision," the company said in a statement. 

    ByteDance launched TikTok in 2017, then bought Musical.ly, a video service popular with teens in the U.S. and Europe, and combined the two. A twin service, Douyin, is available for Chinese users.

    TikTok gained immense popularity via its fun, goofy videos and ease of use, and has hundreds of millions of users globally. 

    But its Chinese ownership has raised concerns about potential censorship of videos, including those critical of the Chinese government, and the risk Beijing may access user data.

    Earlier this month, Trump ordered a sweeping but unspecified ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of consumer apps TikTok and WeChat as the U.S. heightens scrutiny of Chinese technology companies, citing concerns that they may pose a threat to national security.

    Category:News
    Tags:ByteDanceKevin MayerTikTok



    Jacob Elordi Is On A Roll With Roles For Directors Sofia Coppola, Guillermo del Toro and Paul Schrader

    Thursday, December 19, 2024

    Jacob Elordi is suddenly everywhere in Hollywood — so much so that he thinks he must be dreaming.

    Amid a remarkable streak of high-profile projects with respected filmmakers — Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla," Guillermo del Toro's upcoming adaptation of "Frankenstein" and, in theaters now, Paul Schrader's "Oh, Canada" — the 27-year-old isn't taking his success for granted.

    "I don't want to be so arrogant as to say like, you know, 'I choose what is befitting of me,'" he said in an exclusive interview. "I'm very grateful because to say you choose these things sort of seems too conscious or something. I kind of am in a constant state of like, 'Wake me up from this.'"

    "Oh, Canada" tells the story of Leonard Fife (Richard Gere), an acclaimed documentarian on his deathbed who, in what becomes a final act of confession, agrees to have the cameras turned toward him for a documentary about his own life.

    Elordi plays a young Fife in the film, based on Russell Banks' 2021 novel, "Foregone." Despite their physical differences, Elordi's performance as a younger Gere is believable, thanks in part to the amount of effort he put into studying Gere's mannerisms.

    "Richard has such a rich career of films and a really diverse range of films so there was a lot to watch and just kind of copy him, you know? Like Simon Says or something," Elordi said. "The best one for physicality was 'American Gigolo,' because I think he was 29 or something when he made that film. So, it's, you know, not far from where I am now."

    Schrader is not known for making big-budget blockbusters. And while the filmmaker has reaped critical praise throughout his prolific career, he's made his share of panned flops.

    But that hasn't stopped the 78-year-old from... Read More

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