Advertisement
Advertisement
TikTok
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
The social media application logo of TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone. Photo: AFP

TikTok eyes new foreign headquarters to distance itself from Chinese ownership

  • London is among one of several locations the company has been considering, as it faces heavy scrutiny in Washington over data privacy concerns
  • It was not immediately clear what other locations have been under consideration. But the company has hired aggressively in California this year
TikTok
TikTok has been in discussions with the British government over the past few months to locate its headquarters in London, a source familiar with the matter said, as part of a strategy to distance itself from its Chinese ownership.

London is among one of several locations the company is considering, but no decisions have been made, the source said.

TikTok expected to operate as a US company, White House adviser says

It was not immediately clear what other locations are under consideration. But it has hired aggressively in California this year, including poaching Kevin Mayer, a former Walt Disney Company executive, to be TikTok’s chief executive. He is based in the United States.
TikTok is facing heavy scrutiny in Washington over suspicions Beijing could force the company to turn over user data. TikTok is owned by China-based ByteDance.
A man enter the offices of Bytedance, the company which owns TikTok, at its headquarters in Beijing. Photo: Reuters

The source said the company is largely focused on its issues in the US over the last few weeks, but has not ruled out London as a potential location for its new headquarters. TikTok is expected to “significantly” increase the size of its workforce in London and other key locations outside China over the next several years, the source said.

UK newspaper The Sunday Times reported that Tiktok has broken off talks with the British government to open a global headquarters in the country.

A source said Tiktok was still in discussions with Britain’s government. TikTok declined to comment.
Post