TikTok has enlisted three heavyweights from American politics and business to advise it behind the scenes as the social-media app tries to convince U.S. authorities that it isn’t beholden to the Chinese government.
David Plouffe and Jim Messina, veterans of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, and Zenia Mucha, the former longtime communications chief of Walt Disney Co., DIS 1.27%increase; green up pointing triangle are advising TikTok in its fight against efforts to ban it in the U.S, according to people familiar with their roles.
All three helped coach TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew for more than a month ahead of what turned out to be a contentious U.S. House hearing last week, the people said.
In hiring the trio of U.S. advisers, TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., is turning to people who made their name selling the world some of the most prominent American brands: Barack Obama and Disney.
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