TikTok CEO: "Facebook's New Video Service Is Just a TikTok 'Copycat'"

Kevin Mayer, New CEO Who Joined Disney Last May
First Public Statement Since Taking Office

▲Kevin Mayer TikTok CEO [Image source=AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Chinese video application (app) 'TikTok,' which has become a major target of the U.S. Donald Trump administration, has launched a sharp criticism against its competitor Facebook.

On the 29th (local time), Kevin Mayer, TikTok's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a former Disney executive, fiercely condemned, "Facebook is maliciously attacking our U.S. business to ruin it."

This statement from CEO Mayer is his first public declaration since joining TikTok from Disney in May.

He then targeted Facebook's new video service, Instagram Reels, scheduled to launch in early August in the U.S., calling it a 'copycat' that mimics TikTok's app.

CEO Mayer said, "TikTok welcomes competition," adding, "However, instead of Facebook disguising itself with patriotism to attack and eliminate TikTok's presence in the U.S., let's focus our energy on fair competition for our consumers."

He also added, "Without TikTok, the choices available to U.S. advertisers will also decrease."

CEO Mayer's remarks came ahead of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's antitrust hearing in Congress. Facebook is expected to defend itself by emphasizing its status as a 'patriotic company' competing against Chinese firms, including TikTok, during the hearing.

Previously, the U.S. government raised suspicions that TikTok, a subsidiary of China's ByteDance, handed over user information to the Chinese government or deleted content according to Chinese government directives, hinting at potential regulations against TikTok.

In response, CEO Mayer stated, "We believe it is important to demonstrate to TikTok users and regulators that we are a responsible member of American society abiding by U.S. laws," and pledged to actively cooperate with the U.S. government's investigation to clear the allegations surrounding the company.

He also mentioned, "TikTok plans to spend $200 million on its app creators, which will create 10,000 jobs in the U.S."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.