New York: TikTok has assured its U.S. employees that their jobs, pay, and benefits will remain secure even if the U.S. Supreme Court does not overturn the law that may result in the forced sale or ban of the popular video-sharing app. The company, owned by China-based ByteDance and with a workforce of 7,000 in the U.S., communicated this message in an internal memo reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday.
The memo emphasized the company’s commitment to its employees amid mounting uncertainty. “I cannot emphasize enough that your wellbeing is a top priority and so most importantly, I want to reinforce that as employees in the U.S., your employment, pay, and benefits are secure, and our offices will remain open, even if this situation hasn’t been resolved before the January 19 deadline,” it read.
The deadline stems from a law passed in April, which President-elect Donald Trump and other lawmakers have called to extend. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold the law, despite appeals for more time to find a resolution.
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The TikTok leadership also reassured employees that its teams are focused on “planning for various scenarios.” The memo continued, “The bill is not written in a way that impacts the entities through which you are employed, only the U.S. user experience.” The company further stated that it would continue to protect its employees and its 170 million U.S. users, while navigating the legal challenges ahead.
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If the Supreme Court does not intervene before the Sunday deadline, new downloads of TikTok on Apple and Google app stores would be prohibited. Existing users could still access the app, though its functionality would degrade as third-party companies would be barred from providing necessary support.
