After President Donald Trump announced his plans to ban TikTok in the United States, the social media platform's U.S. General Manager, Vanessa Pappas, said the company isn't going anywhere.
"I want to say thank you to the millions of Americans who use TikTok every day, bringing creativity and joy into our daily lives. We've heard your outpouring of support and we want to say thank you. We aren't planning on going anywhere," Pappas said in a video posted on Twitter.
"TikTok is a home for creators and artists to express themselves, their ideas and connect with people across different backgrounds and we are so proud of all the various communities that call TikTok their home," she explained. "I'm also proud of our 1,500 U.S. employees that work on the app every day and the additional 10,000 jobs that we're bringing into the country over the next three years."
According to Pappas, TikTok recently announced the U.S. Creator Fund, a $1 billion fund to "support" users. The goal is to help users supplement their income by creating content for the platform, Tech Crunch previously reported.
"When it comes to safety and security we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do," she said. "So we appreciate the support and we're here for the long run and continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok."
A message to the TikTok community. pic.twitter.com/UD3TR2HfEf
— TikTok (@tiktok_us) August 1, 2020
The problem with TikTok, however, is the lack of privacy and their deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Those ties are a national security threat, especially as tensions with China continue to rise over their attempts to cover up the Wuhan coronavirus.