PALO ALTO, U.S. -- TikTok's owner plans to hire 10,000 people in the U.S., Nikkei has learned, in a move aimed at highlighting its contribution to employing Americans, a priority for the Trump Administration, as parent company ByteDance tries to avoid U.S. government sanctions against the Chinese short-video sharing startup.
TikTok, ByteDance's U.S. subsidiary, revealed the plan on Tuesday. The company recently expanded its U.S. payroll to 1,400 employees from less than 500 at the beginning of the year. It now plans to hire an additional 10,000 people.
A company representative told Nikkei that the U.S. unit will hire staff for its offices in states such as California and Texas to strengthen its advertising sales and technology development.
TikTok has taken off globally, especially among younger people. U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that ByteDance could be forced to share its user data with Chinese authorities.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier this month that the U.S. is "looking at" banning TikTok. India has already banned the app in June following a deadly border clash with China. The Indian government called the decision an "emergency measure" necessary for national security.
ByteDance emphasized that Beijing does not have access to users' personal information. It is also working to make its international operations more independent to quell worries that it is under Beijing's control.
