Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not defending it, but there is a legal basis. CFIUS[1] laws give the president authority to close down foreign businesses under certain circumstances. (This is not to say "it's completely legal" - there are a bunch of ways this could be challenged). [1] https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/international/the-co...
Do those certain circumstances apply here? Shouldn’t there be a legal check from the judiciary?
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
101–110 of 242 posts
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
It might hurt his reputation to have left at a time like this, but I imagine not necessarily any worse than his reputation would wind up being if he stuck around at the helm for a pawn in a game between the US and Chinese governments. If an acquisition does actually materialize, which still seems to be a very big if, it would be under existential duress, which is not a favorable negotiating position. Despite its popu…
I think he's toast. Who would want to work for a guy who has a track record of jumping ship in the face of trouble?
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not sure you can blame him personally for the troubles... I mean it was pretty difficult to forsee, and almost impossible to mitigate a geopolitical war over your company...
I'm definitely not blaming him. I'm observing that he's calling it quits instead of helping his team weather the storm, and that as an employee, I would look disfavorably upon a manager who has previously left their team in the lurch when they most needed a leader.
If there wasn't a strong leader already to take his place then it would be a very negative decision on Kevin's part.
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
What makes you think that? The Russian government just poisoned another opposition thinker, these things are not beyond the pale. North Korea hired a couple of pretty girls to kill a renegade brother or somesuch in public . China has disappeared people over just a few wrong words If I were in that position I'd make sure I have at least a couple bodyguards, and good ones at that
Worlds of difference between those countries and functioning democracies.
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why hasn't this been a problem for Zoom? If somebody has data about government employees or even recordings of meetings then it is Zoom, not TikTok.
WeChat is a more credible threat but the anglosphere media is mostly ignorant of them so TikTok it is.
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am neither a US Citizen or a resident BUT this is not only about "geopolitics" but more about National Security too. There's literally a law in China which states you have to provide "crucial information for review" to the government if asked. You(the firm operating in China) cant deny that. Period. That itself is scary, regardless of whether or not politics / geopolitics is involved. The law (Source: https://en.wi…
> There's literally a law in China which states you have to provide "crucial information for review" to the government if asked. You(the firm operating in China) cant deny that. Period. Despite having a Chinese parent, isn't it the case that TikTok itself does not operate in China?
And parent company will always have the dibs, if you will, on Tiktok. Regardless of whether tiktok is out of China or in.
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#107If I were TikTok I would move my international operations to a European country that was friendly to me and then wait until the anti-China sentiment in the US settled and then try again. Rather that than force-selling the US part at a bargain price. Europe would love a social media giant that could match those of the US. And just behaved better than the US ones when it came to taxes and data privacy ...
The sentiment in Europe right now is fear over Chinese money purchasing European companies piecemeal. European valuations are kept artificially low by, well, it seems just by being in Europe. With companies struggling from covid, the usual lack of European leadership on any sort of stimulus, and the US not in a position to bail the European economy out again a la 2008, there are a lot of buying opportunities. Current…
But it is true. There is anti-China sentiment in Europe too ... but if you asks eg. the Germans ... who would you rather spite: Trump or China? They probably would go ... hmmm ... though one ... Trump!
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#108As a European I find this whole story very confusing. A president that can just force a specific company on very short notice to shut down operation, is very concerning. What is even more concerning is that a lot of people here tend to agree because of the China thing. If it is that important, why is there no law that enforces this?
I hate this "As a European" generalizations as if Europe has an entirely homogeneous spread of governance. Take this for a second; Bulgaria and Denmark is both Europe, or Hungary and Sweden.
What does the OP not understand? The concern of China controlling key economic and tech areas? OR that a president can block a company from operating in his country?
As a European, I might not agree with the decision but I do understand the general concern behind it.
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#109Earlier quoted context omitted.
WeChat is a more credible threat but the anglosphere media is mostly ignorant of them so TikTok it is.
WeChat isn't a threat because barely any Americans use it.
Re: TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer to leave the company
#110As a European I find this whole story very confusing. A president that can just force a specific company on very short notice to shut down operation, is very concerning. What is even more concerning is that a lot of people here tend to agree because of the China thing. If it is that important, why is there no law that enforces this?
I hate this "As a European" generalizations as if Europe has an entirely homogeneous spread of governance. Take this for a second; Bulgaria and Denmark is both Europe, or Hungary and Sweden.
Also, the same way "America" can mean "the US", it's not strange to see people colloquially refer to the EU countries as "Europe", though both are, technically, not correct.