New York
CNN
—
TikTok’s world belief and security unit is getting a brand new chief, the corporate confirmed on Tuesday.
Cormac Keenan, who has led belief and security for the social media big since 2020 from its Dublin, Eire, workplace, is stepping again right into a strategic advisory function working with the corporate’s senior management staff, CEO Shou Chew mentioned in an inner memo to staff Tuesday. Keenan may also serve on the board of the corporate’s Irish entity.
Following Keenan’s transfer, TikTok’s world belief and security unit will now fall underneath the management of Adam Presser, the corporate’s Los Angeles-based head of operations. Nonetheless, TikTok’s belief and security workers will in any other case stay in place as-is, in accordance with the corporate.
“I need to take this chance to personally thank Cormac on behalf of all of us, for his many vital contributions in making TikTok a secure area for creativity and expression,” Chew mentioned within the word to staff, a portion of which was considered by CNN.
Chew on Tuesday additionally introduced that two different TikTok senior leaders in Europe are leaving the corporate fully: Each Theo Bertram, previously vice chairman of presidency relations and public coverage in Europe, and Wealthy Waterworth, common supervisor of operations who led content material efforts within the Europe, Center East and Africa area, are leaving the corporate for different alternatives.
The management adjustments come as TikTok continues to face scrutiny in america, Europe and elsewhere over the security and safety of its platform.
Chew last month testified earlier than a US Senate subcommittee alongside the heads of different giant social media firms about youth security on their platforms. He confronted questions on its investments in trust and safety and about the app’s connection to its Chinese language guardian firm, ByteDance, a hyperlink that has spurred nationwide safety issues in america and elsewhere.
TikTok plans to take a position $2 billion in belief and security efforts in 2024, Chew mentioned in the course of the listening to.
Throughout his tenure, Keenan oversaw the rollout of quite a lot of new options and insurance policies geared toward addressing such issues. These embrace default screen time limits for teen customers, the flexibility for folks to mute their youngster’s notifications and tweaks to the app’s algorithms to keep away from repeatedly serving customers movies on probably problematic matters, similar to weight-reduction plan or unhappiness.