Exclusive: TikTok hires Ziad Ojakli as new head of public policy for Americas
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Ziad Ojakli. Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023
TikTok on Tuesday named veteran government affairs executive Ziad Ojakli as its new head of public policy for the Americas, replacing longtime policy lead Michael Beckerman.
Why it matters: Ojakli will become the public face of TikTok's policy strategy as it looks to get sold and save itself from a ban.
- Ojakli previously served in senior policy roles at Ford, SoftBank and Boeing. He is a former official in the George W. Bush administration.
- Beckerman, who had been in the role for over five years, announced in April his decision to step down from the role at the end of the year.
Zoom in: In an internal post Tuesday, CEO Shou Zi Chew said Ojakli will start in his new position on Dec. 1, the same day his predecessor Beckerman will begin in a new global advisory role for the company.
- "Ziad brings vast experience from his roles in public service and as a leader at global, industry-leading companies," Chew said. "I am confident he will continue to drive our teams in our mission to become the most trusted platform through proactive outreach, education, and transparency."
Zoom out: TikTok's policy challenges to date have mostly been around its safety, privacy and security measures.
- A plan to sell itself to a group of American investors, and give them control over TikTok's algorithm and content moderation practices, is meant to alleviate bipartisan concerns about the app's Chinese influence over Americans.
- In September, the president signed an executive order that allows a tentative deal for the sale of TikTok's U.S. assets to move forward.
- U.S. officials are still trying to finalize a deal with the Chinese government that would satisfy U.S. national security concerns. To allow time for negotiations to conclude, President Trump extended the deadline in September for a ban enforcement measure by another 120 days.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the Ojakli news was announced in an internal post (not a post to the TikTok community).
