TikTok has no plans to withdraw from the United States, even if it is not sold to a U.S. company, a top executive said Tuesday.
Vanessa Pappas, the general manager of TikTok’s operations in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, also shrugged off allegations that the app was a security threat.
“TikTok is here for the long term,” she said in an interview aired on NBC’s “TODAY” show. “We are more than confident in our future.”
Pappas’ statements come when the situation of TikTok in the US is uncertain.
Less than two weeks ago, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning the company from doing business in the U.S. since Sept. 15. The owner of TikTok, ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, has reportedly been in talks to sell some or all of the app to a variety of potential buyers, including Microsoft. Oracle is also reportedly part of the bids.
Pappas said TikTok will continue to exist and will deliver the same experience for users well after that deadline.
The app, which allows users to create and watch short videos tuned to music, has captured the hearts and minds of Generation Z. It has more than 100 million users in the US, and a third of them are thought to be under 13 years old.
Trump and many lawmakers have argued that TikTok poses a threat to national security, largely because they believe the Chinese Communist Party could use the service to gain access to American data. Those fears come amid growing tensions with China that could spark a new Cold War, in which technology will play a key role.
Dads denied that TikTok posed a threat to the US
“We are not a threat to national security,” she said. “We have very strict data controls in place. We have a great team that builds a world-class infrastructure, and that’s something we place front and center in terms of protecting our users.”
Pappas also said TikTok had become a victim of the “geopolitical tension” between Washington and Beijing, citing a recent CIA report that found no evidence that Chinese intelligence had access to TikTok users’ data.
However, those tensions have forced ByteDance into a position where it will likely be forced to sell US company TikTok to a non-Chinese owner.
“We are absolutely committed to delivering the same experience to our users today, in whatever scenario falls into place in the future,” Pappas said.
American owned or not, TikTok will face increased competition in the US In recent weeks, Facebook has launched its own TikTok-like service, Instagram Reels; Snapchat has introduced new TikTok-like music features; and Google’s YouTube is working on a 15-second video tool.
When asked if she was worried that TikTok users could decamp to a service like Instagram, Pappas dismissed the competition.
“You can certainly copy a feature, but you can’t copy a community,” she said. “And I think what’s really unique about TikTok is this amazing community that has found a home on the platform.”
