TikTok has announced a significant restructuring of its operations, merging its Core Product and Trust & Safety teams in response to ongoing scrutiny from U.S. regulators. The company’s goal now is to strengthen its operating and earning power and move into compliance before the day they could be shut down gets closer. Tensions between the U.S. and China have increased over the app’s ownership. This decision is a clear indication of the increasing public demand for data privacy.
In a memo circulated to employees on Wednesday, TikTok’s recently installed chief executive Shou Chew described this reorganization as an inflection point. He stated, “For increased alignment across our robust trust and safety programs, the T&S Product team will now become part of the TikTok Product organization.” The combination boosts the firm’s capacity to draw on its deep technical expertise. This enables us to better meet our own organizational business objectives and safety mission.
TikTok must comply with U.S. national security regulations by September 17. This is the third time that former President Trump has pushed back the shutdown deadline for the popular social media platform. As U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently stated, he threatened that TikTok would cease to function in the nation unless the Chinese government allows a transaction for the app’s divestment. Lutnick stated that U.S. control over TikTok’s algorithm should be the main part of any deal.
As part of the restructuring, we are excited to announce that Andy Bonillo will be stepping into a new Senior Advisor role. Fresh off getting TikTok’s U.S. operations set up, Zhu will now report directly to Shou Chew. This change is a further reflection of the company’s deep commitment to adjust its executive leadership in the face of today’s challenge rebound from.
Jenny Zi recently roped in to head of TikTok LIVE. Under Bonillo’s leadership, this feature has seen tremendous growth and expansion. Adam Chew praised Bonillo’s remarkable leadership in rolling out TikTok LIVE globally. Bonillo’s dynamism and leadership has successfully guided drivers’ global success over the past four years.
Aisha Malik, consumer news reporter at TechCrunch, has more on what all this means. Malik received her honours bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto. He is a graduate of the master’s program in journalism at Western University. Before moving over to TechCrunch in 2021, she covered the telecom industry for MobileSyrup.
Chew expressed confidence in TikTok’s future capabilities: “I am confident that this reorganization will put us in an even stronger position to match the opportunities ahead of us.” He continued by explaining how this new team structure would allow TikTok to become a faster-developing institution to produce next-generation safety technology.
