ByteDance, the Chinese company that handles TikTok, charged Facebook of “plagiarism and smear” as it shows to go on an advantageous position following ongoing pressure on its business from the United States.
According to a CNBC translation of the Chinese statement, the Beijing-based company stated last Sunday that it is “committed to becoming a global company.” Still, it has encountered “all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties.”
The company said that these difficulties involve an “intense international political environment, the collision and conflict of different cultures, and the plagiarism and smear of competitor Facebook.”
ByteDance did not explain further on the statement but spoke that the main aim was at its domestic Chinese audience. When contacted by CNBC, Facebook was not directly available for any comment.
Tiktok parent ByteDance issued its statement before the confirmation of Microsoft that it is in discussions to buy Tiktok. The company said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke to President Donald Trump concerning a potential procurement of Tiktok in the United States. Moreover, the technology giant also considers the purchase of Tiktok in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
There were multiple accusations received by Tiktok from Washington, such as scooping up American user data to redirect it to the Chinese government. Tiktok has repeatedly denied these allegations.
Before the announcement of Microsoft about its talks to obtain Tiktok, President Trump already said he would get rid of the social media app. With technology becoming one of the aspects caught in the middle of what some commentators dubbed a “new Cold War,” strained relations between the U.S. and China have been rising.
At the same time, Facebook, which faces competitive pressure from TikTok, has attempted to make rival products. Shut down last month was Lasso, which permitted people to record a 15-second video and overlay music on top. And now, Facebook is preparing to launch Instagram Reels that is another short video product.
Hired recently in May from Disney, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer called out Facebook last week.
He mentioned in a blog post, “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.”
“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 U.S.”
These statements from Mayer came after the Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg publicized the social network last Wednesday as “a proudly American company” in preparing remarks upfront his testimony before the House of Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust.
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