Erich Andersen, the current general counsel for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, is set to step down from his role in June.
His departure aims to allow him to focus on combating efforts that seek to enforce the sale of the video-sharing app in the United States.
Despite his resignation from the general counsel position, Andersen will remain with the company, transitioning into the role of special counsel.
In this capacity, he will lead TikTok’s legal efforts to challenge the legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden. The new law mandates ByteDance to divest TikTok within 270 days or risk a ban in the U.S.
Andersen played a pivotal role in TikTok’s previous successful legal challenges against attempts by the Trump administration to ban the app.
He was instrumental in blocking Montana’s attempt to ban TikTok last year. TikTok has consistently maintained that it does not share American user data with the Chinese government, and it plans to challenge the new legislation on First Amendment grounds. TikTok users are expected to join legal action against the bill.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, expressed gratitude for Andersen’s contributions and announced his new role as special counsel.
Chew voiced confidence in TikTok’s ability to overcome the legal hurdles posed by the divestiture legislation.
President Biden‘s signing of the bill sets a deadline of January 19 for ByteDance to sell TikTok. However, the President has the authority to extend this deadline by three months if deemed necessary.
The legislation reflects widespread concerns among U.S. lawmakers regarding potential data security risks associated with TikTok’s Chinese ownership.
