While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepared to defend his organization in front of an antitrust hearing in the US showcasing the social media platform as an American success story and an important aspect in the country’s dominance against its global rivals, TikTok, its Chinese rival has already attacked the US-based organization.
Kevin Mayer, CEO of the Bytedance-owned, hugely popular video app said in his blog post stated, “But let’s focus our energies on fair and open competition in service of our consumers, rather than maligning attacks by our competitor – namely Facebook – disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US.”
Mayer, who left Walt Disney Co for the viral video platform in May, now leads an effort to convince US regulators that his platform is not a threat to the national security or country’s youth.
TikTok which has now become a symbol of Chinese power in the US is trying to ward off a possible blacklisting that would hurt its growth through exploring several options including a sale of TikTok to American investors.
Zuckerberg’s testimony focuses on the broader danger of allowing tech firms from the world’s No. 2 economy to dominate the online sphere. After years of trying to bring Facebook into China, he’s choosing the opposite path, setting up Facebook’s success as an alternative to China’s.
“China is building its own version of the internet focused on very different ideas, and they are exporting their vision to other countries,” Zuckerberg will say, according to the CEO’s testimony prepared for the House Judiciary Committee on antitrust.
The argument is likely to resonate with President Donald Trump, who has already threatened to ban TikTok in an escalation of tension with China over trade, security and the coronavirus.
Facebook is now directly competing with TikTok with its new feature ‘Reels’ which is available in some countries. Mayer mentions the product by name, as well as mini-video app Lasso. “Their other copycat Lasso failed quickly,” he says. “Bring it on.”
TikTok, in the meantime, is working to reinvent its image and is hiring heavily in the US which is showcasing CEO’s hiring as a testament to its pro-US approach. It’s building relationships to show TikTok to be “responsible and committed members of the American community,” Mayer writes.
