The recent news that TikTok’s CEO has been left out of the decision-making process has been a cause of great concern to a lot of people. Not only has this led to many people believing that the company will fail, but it has also created tensions between China and the US. This is the main reason why people are worried that the company is going to be shut down. However, Kevin Mayer, who is currently the CEO of TikTok, has not given any indication that he would be stepping down from his position.
‘In-house favorite’ to take over as Disney CEO
During a period of turmoil at Disney, many had assumed that “in-house favorite” Kevin Mayer would take over as Disney CEO. However, in the end, he was passed over for the position and Bob Chapek, a former head of the parks and consumer products division, was named as Disney’s new chief executive.
Tom Staggs was another Disney exec who had been considered for the job, but he left the company before it was officially announced. Other candidates include Josh D’Amaro, Rebecca Campbell, Dana Walden, and Christine McCarthy. These individuals all have creative credentials, though McCarthy has been touted as a sleeper candidate.
During a period of crisis, TikTok found itself in a bit of a tumultuous summer. The app faced political tensions, as well as a possible billion-dollar deal negotiation. The company’s parent company, ByteDance, has also been a target of increased scrutiny. While ByteDance has said it does not store any data on its users in China, lawmakers have raised concerns that Beijing could dictate content decisions.
Michael Mayer has been a key player in Disney’s acquisitions and corporate strategy. He led the development of Disney+, the company’s flagship streaming service. He also orchestrated the company’s acquisitions of Lucasfilm, 21st Century Fox, and Pixar.
Although Michael Mayer is no longer with Disney, he is still listed as a strategic advisor for the new company. In addition to his work at ByteDance, Mayer is also chairman of sports streamer DAZN. He graduated from Harvard Business School and has an extensive background in M&A.
He has been a Disney executive for more than two decades and most recently served as president of the Disneyland Resort in California. He also led the launch of Disney Plus in Europe and the Middle East.
A major concern for many of his colleagues was the management style that Mayer has displayed. While he has proven to be an effective leader at the company, some fear that he is unrelenting.
After the coronavirus outbreak, which shuttered Disney parks and resulted in the loss of special tax status, the company has had to deal with a number of crises. Customers have complained about the quality of food, lousy service, and rundown facilities. In fact, the company lost 91% of its profit last quarter.
But the company’s new streaming service has become a bright spot for the company. It has racked up a huge amount of subscribers in the past five months, with Disney reporting that it has added 50 million subscribers globally. This includes a surge in interest from millennials and Gen Xers. In fact, the app has been downloaded over two billion times.
While Disney has made some bold moves, such as buying out the entertainment arm of a global consulting firm, the company still faces significant competition from tech companies. It’s unclear whether or not Bob Iger will return as CEO.
‘Left out of decision-making process’
A recent bout of political horse trading in the village of Lakewood has left several residents in the dust. The aforementioned Paul Serwatka took the cake, though some members of the village of the ilk would admonish him on the spot. Despite his brash and uninhibited persona, Serwatka has managed to rekindle some of the community’s pride. A few weeks back, he was the subject of a high-powered flurry of email and phone call fueled by the likes of several prominent luminaries. It is a testament to his wits that he was able to squeak out a win even before the requisite eve-of-the-year pixies came into play. After a short stint as the town’s resident wizard, Serwatka has been relegated to a more ceremonial role, though it appears he has a few friends of his own in his corner office. Whether or not the new administration can maintain the esprit pique is a moot question. However, the community has seen its share of lows since the mid-decade, and Serwatka has a good track record in the trenches.
‘Didn’t anticipate the extent to which TikTok would become involved in tensions between China and the US’
TikTok is a Chinese social media app that has recently gained traction in the US market. The company was banned in India in June, and Australia is considering banning it as well. As the US and China continue to trade blows over tech companies and human rights, the company is one of many that have come under scrutiny.
A congressional hearing last month revealed some of the details of the TikTok controversy. The company was accused of making decisions to please Chinese censors, which could result in the Chinese government accessing data about US users. However, the TikTok Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa Pappas, said the company has a strict set of controls on how it handles user information.
Another question that was raised was whether TikTok employees in China would be given access to user information. The company said they would not have access to that data, but that some of the content they posted would be accessible. The TikTok app also has an algorithm that decides which videos to show.
This could potentially give the Chinese government an advantage over the US. In addition, the company has not responded to new requests from the US to disclose more about its practices.
Besides its role as an online video platform, TikTok has become a symbol of China’s rise to the status of an economic and technological superpower. It is also a major contender in the race to be the world’s biggest tech firm, following the lead of Google and Facebook.
A number of US lawmakers have voiced their concerns about TikTok, but have not had much progress on policing the company. Despite a number of meetings with government officials, a formal ban on TikTok is still very far off. In fact, the company has yet to fully respond to congressional concerns, though it is reportedly working with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, to address the issue.
At the same time, a report from BuzzFeed claims that TikTok employees in China could have access to private American user data. But according to the report, TikTok claimed this was a technical problem that was resolved.
While the US is focusing on TikTok’s role as an online video platform, Beijing is busy building a surveillance state in Xinjiang. It has also launched a massive crackdown on private companies.
While these incidents are not unusual, they have heightened scrutiny of TikTok’s decision-making process. Hopefully, TikTok will have the courage to make an example of itself and take a stand for human rights. This could inspire other companies to do the same. And perhaps, if TikTok does well, the company could serve as a model for the rest of the global tech industry.
