(Bloomberg) — Erich Andersen, the U.S.-based general counsel for TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd., is stepping down from the role, the social media app announced.
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Andersen, who was one of the key officials responsible for convincing the U.S. government that the company was doing enough to allay national security concerns about its ties to China, will leave his role in June. He will remain a “special advisor to the company,” according to a TikTok statement released Friday.
The move comes days after President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that threatens TikTok’s existence in the United States, forcing ByteDance to either divest its stake in the app or see it banned. Companies are expected to wage a legal battle to try to overturn or delay implementation of the legislation.
The company was preparing to remove Andersen from his role as general counsel following legislation advancing in the U.S. Congress to force the divestment or ban of TikTok, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on April 20. on efforts to overturn the legislation in the United States and “other pressing legal matters,” the company said.
“It was a difficult decision to resign after so many years in this position,” Andersen said in a statement released Friday. “I am grateful to my talented global legal team, who have successfully met each new challenge with incredible courage and maturity.
Read more: TikTok to remove executive responsible for responding to US complaints
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