How TikTok backed itself into a corner

Jan 18, 2025 08:09 AM - 4 weeks ago 34187

You’d deliberation that TikTok would person a Plan B by now.

It’s now clear the institution ne'er planned for a script successful which it would suffer to the Supreme Court. Maybe it couldn’t, fixed that the Chinese authorities yet has last opportunity connected a sale. Now, TikTok’s leaders are banking connected Donald Trump to prevention them successful a last-ditch effort that will unquestionably travel pinch strings attached.

Politically, TikTok misplayed its manus astatine each move of this multi-year saga. Executives many times dismissed the anticipation of a ban, moreover going truthful acold arsenic to virtually laughter astatine the idea. They were blindsided by Congress overwhelmingly agreeing connected a ban. Then, they mislaid connected appeal to the Supreme Court pinch only a time near earlier the rule goes into effect. The only leverage they seemingly person near is that Trump thinks the app helped him triumph the predetermination — positive their willingness to fto him extract immoderate lb of soma he wants.

TikTok backed itself into this area technically, too. It spent complete $1 cardinal connected Project Texas to effort and appease concerns astir US information making its measurement to China. Amazingly, TikTok started Project Texas before the authorities gave its blessing, which of people ne'er came. US information is now walled disconnected successful abstracted infrastructure maintained by Oracle, which will person to legally extremity moving pinch TikTok arsenic of the 19th.

Undoing Project Texas now would beryllium “a monolithic effort” involving galore engineers, personification who worked connected it precocious told me. Shutting the app down, alternatively than simply removing it from US app stores, is TikTok’s only option. It’s unclear really this would effect the acquisition of utilizing TikTok extracurricular of the US. It’s an unprecedented situation.

Even still, TikTok is trying to play it cool externally. Blake Chandlee, the company’s president, told advertisers aft the Supreme Court’s determination that “we’re optimistic astir uncovering the champion way forward” and to expect “next steps” earlier the prohibition goes into effect. Employees person yet to person different directions internally, I’m told. As I wrote earlier this week, the temper is grim, moreover among those who worked astatine TikTok during the first prohibition effort 4 years ago.

Given that nary 1 wins if TikTok goes away, Trump will astir apt still find a measurement to make judge the app stays moving successful the US. He’s invited Shou Chew to beryllium connected the inauguration dais and Elon Musk could beryllium successful play. But there’s nary denying that ByteDance put itself successful this corner. To get retired of it, location will beryllium a value to pay, and it’s going to costs much than money.

Elsewhere

Tech kisses the ring: The ocular of tech CEOs astatine Trump’s inauguration connected Monday will beryllium striking. The CEOs of Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, and much are descending connected Washington DC this play to buss the ring. The only awesome CEO to beryllium retired the proceedings will beryllium Nvidia’s Jensen Hunag, who is retired of the country connected business. X, Uber, Spotify, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, David Sacks, and much are throwing parties successful DC this weekend.
Meta’s fallout continues: CTO Andrew Bosworth admitted internally that immoderate of the changes “were beautiful ham-fisted” and are being reconsidered, including the removal of tampons from men’s restrooms. Mark Zuckerberg did harm control aft it was reported that he blamed Sheryl Sandberg for the company’s DEI culture. He also announced that 5 percent of the institution will beryllium fto spell successful cuts targeting “low-performers.” And the civilian authorities squad was axed.
Other headlines: Democratic Senators are huffy astatine tech CEOs for donating to Trump… Being deemed “critical AI talent” by your head whitethorn thief you get a raise astatine Microsoft… Amazon’s RTO instruction is disconnected to a rocky start… SpaceX caught different rocket… Apple is disabling AI summaries of news stories.

Job board

Some recent, noteworthy occupation changes successful the tech world:

Jay Parikh, Facebook’s early caput of engineering and the ex-CEO of Lacework, is now starring a caller Core AI engineering org astatine Microsoft. His org will beryllium successful complaint of the “end-to-end Copilot & AI stack for some our first-party and third-party customer,” according to CEO Sayta Nadella.
Alex Dunlap, VP of productivity apps for AWS, is Andy Jassy’s new ‘shadow’ advisor astatine Amazon. Meanwhile, Ralf Groene reunited pinch Panos Panay to lead creation for the devices org.
Tom Conrad is the caller interim CEO of Sonos, replacing Patrick Spence. Read his afloat letter to employees. Chief merchandise serviceman Maxime Bouvat-Merlin is besides out.
Bumble laminitis Whitney Wolfe Herd is back arsenic CEO.
Global Infrastructure Partners CEO Adebayo Ogunlesi joined OpenAI’s board.
Ex-Unity CRO Jules Shumaker was named Discord’s first main business officer.
The erstwhile caput of Snap’s contented business, David Brinker, joined Character.AI arsenic SVP of partnerships.