ByteDance said to be seeking a new CEO for TikTok, amid US concerns about links to China

Chinese internet giant ByteDance is seeking a new chief executive officer for its TikTok business, a hugely popular video app that American politicians have targeted as a potential security threat.

The company has interviewed candidates in recent months for the CEO role, which would be based in the US, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named because the search is private. In one potential scenario, the new CEO would oversee TikTok’s non-technical functions, including advertising and operations, while current TikTok chief Alex Zhu would continue to manage the majority of product and engineering out of China, one person said. The hiring process is ongoing and the envisioned role could still change depending on who is selected, the people added.

Zhu, who co-founded a predecessor to TikTok called Musical.ly, took over the business last year, though ByteDance’s video app in China is called Douyin and run by a different management team. The eventual corporate structure involving Zhu and the new CEO is still unclear, the people said, and Bytedance has hired executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles to help lead the process.

A spokesman for TikTok declined to comment. Heidrick & Struggles did not respond to a request for comment.

The new hire will not affect the role of Vanessa Pappas, who currently oversees TikTok’s US operations from Los Angeles, one person said. In a blog post Wednesday, Pappas wrote that TikTok has opened a new Culver City office with plans to “scale our local operations,” and now has more than 400 US employees.

“While we are a global company, having a permanent office in LA speaks to our commitment to the US market and deepens our bonds with the city, and the talent and companies, that call it home,” she wrote.