TikTok’s US Public Policy Chief Michael Beckerman, key figure in fight against a US ban, to resign

TikTok's US Public Policy Chief, Michael Beckerman, a key figure in the fight against a US ban, is set to resign, according to a report by The Information.

Beckerman has been working as the US Public Policy Chief of TikTok since 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is reportedly leaving Washington and may take up a new advisory role in TikTok's global operations.

Beckerman's role in TikTok ban

Beckerman has constantly defended TikTok against regulatory pressures and measures to ban it in recent years. He has been present during congressional hearings, where TikTok justified allegations on data protection policies and links to China.

TikTok ban extended

This development comes after US President Donald Trump on April 4 extended the deadline for TikTok to find a non-Chinese buyer by 75 days or face a ban in the United States. He claimed China was holding back on approval of the sale deal of TikTok as a response to the tariffs, AFP reported.

Trump blames China

Donald Trump said that China “changed the deal because of tariffs” and asserted that they would agree “in 15 minutes” if he eased tariffs on Chinese imports “a little”.

“The report is that we had a deal, pretty much for TikTok, not a deal, but pretty close, and then China changed the deal because of tariffs. If I gave a little cut in tariffs, they'd approve that deal in 15 minutes, which shows you the power of tariffs,” Trump told reporters.

TikTok ban in US

ByteDance-owned TikTok is a popular video-sharing platform with more than 170 million users in the United States.

In 2024, Congress passed a divest-or-ban legislation for TikTok that received bipartisan support and was signed by former President Joe Biden. The United States has consistently expressed concerns over Chinese ownership of TikTok, threatening the national security of the world's largest economy.

TikTok was banned on January 19 for 12 hours from Saturday evening until early Sunday morning following the federal order. This ban was revoked after President Trump signed an executive order, positioning the ban for 75 days.