TikTok US Trust and Safety Manager Leaves Company Amid National Security Concerns

In the USA, TikTok created a separate entity to convince Washington that the service did not pose a security problem. Eric Han, head of TikTok’s security teams for several years, was appointed trust and security manager for this entity in December. A position exposed in the current context, which he will leave on May 12.

TikTok US trust and safety manager: not exactly easy

Eric Han had been given the task of forming a team to specifically respond to American national security concerns. His mission, according to the statement of a spokeswoman, was to ensure ” compliance, security policies and moderation of content involving US users’ private data ».

In an excerpt from a memo released by The Vergeat the origin of the information, Andy Bonillo, General Manager of the American structure of the application, assured his teams ” We remain committed to delivering on our commitments to the TikTok community – both in the US and around the world – while continuing to invest in trust and safety as a cornerstone of these efforts. ».

For a long time, TikTok has been trying to convince Washington that the data of its American users is not within Beijing’s reach. It has created a specific structure in the United States for this purpose and deployed a plan, the « plan Texas » more than a billion dollars to comply with the American authorities. Eric Han was then at the forefront of these efforts.

Ces efforts don’t seem to be bearing fruit. Within the Biden administration, voices believe that the solutions proposed by the ByteDance social network are insufficient. The American president has given his support to a Law proposition to ban foreign apps that pose a threat to national security.

According to testimonies collected by Bloomberg, Eric Han would not have appreciated his promotion at the end of the year. A good position on paper, but particularly exposed in the current context across the Atlantic.

Andy Bonillo, already interim in his post as director, pending the approval of the authorities, will also recover the function of head of confidence and security. A replacement should be named in the long term, but the recruitment looks complicated.