China's TikTok denies report of delay in launch of US shopping platform

BEIJING - TikTok said on Wednesday (May 10) the launch of its US shopping platform has not been delayed, denying a report from the Wall Street Journal earlier in the day that said it was pushed to June from early spring.

The report, which cited unnamed sources, said the app's Chinese owner ByteDance's decision was based on growing concerns about the platform's future in the United States.

A TikTok spokesman said in an e-mail statement to Reuters that the launch has not been delayed.

"We're committed to our strategy of testing and learning, and we're excited to continue expanding our test in the US by inviting more merchants to join us as interest in Shop continues to grow," the spokesman said.

As of March, TikTok had some 150 million monthly active users in the US, up from 100 million in 2020. But the app is facing pressure in Washington, including calls for a ban by many in Congress who fear its US user data could fall into the hands of the Chinese government.

Last week, the video platform said it was launching a product that will let advertisers place ads alongside content made by premium publishers, who will share half the ad revenue.

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