ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, accused Facebook Inc. of “plagiarism and smear,” as it looks to go on the front foot following continued pressure on its business from the U.S.
Late Sunday, the Beijing-based firm said that it is “committed to becoming a global company” but it has faced “all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties,” according to a CNBC translation of the Chinese statement.
These include an “intense international political environment, the collision and conflict of different cultures, and the plagiarism and smear of competitor Facebook,” the company said.
Last week, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, who was hired in May from Disney, called out Facebook.
“We think fair competition makes all of us better. To those who wish to launch competitive products, we say bring it on. Facebook is even launching another copycat product, Reels (tied to Instagram), after their other copycat Lasso failed quickly,” he said in a blog post.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is in talks with President Donald Trump and ByteDance to acquire the US operations of TikTok. Read here.
