TikTok is one of the tech companies that could be most affected by the outcome of the US election. But as the election results came into view, employees there found themselves surprisingly detached from the high-level political drama that could decide the app's fate.
A San Jose product manager, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, says he was more concerned about the TikTok ban earlier this year before joining the company than he is now. He claims that his colleagues rarely bring up the topic, and that his team plans future product features on the app as if a ban isn't coming soon.
“I feel indifferent now,” he says. “There's little you can do as an ordinary employee, and everyone thinks that way, so the result is business as usual.”
WIRED spoke to half a dozen employees of TikTok and parent company ByteDance on condition of anonymity, and all report very little or no discussion about U.S. elections or politics among their ranks.
While outsiders speculate about the app's possible demise, US-based TikTok employees say discussions about the ban are happening more often with their international counterparts or with non-ByteDance friends. 'There is almost a consensus not to talk about this. Every now and then some of us might say it might be time to switch, but those discussions are rare,” says the TikTok product manager.
In April, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA) was signed into law, requiring TikTok to sell its U.S. operations to a domestic buyer or face a ban. But months later, the topic largely disappeared from the headlines as politicians continued to talk about China leading to the election.
So far, Kamala Harris has not commented on what she would do with TikTok as US president, but experts expect she will more or less implement the Biden administration's tech policies, including following up on the PAFACA law.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, publicly reversed his 2020 position on banning the app after reportedly being lobbied by Jeff Yass, a billionaire ByteDance investor. Most recently, Trump said in a September campaign video that “for anyone who wants to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump.” Still, he didn't make saving TikTok a major talking point during his campaign stops, and people aren't sure he would maintain his latest views if elected.
