TikTok has told hundreds of advertising executives it intends to challenge a potential U.S. ban through legal action.
The move comes as the Chinese-owned company faces the prospect of being banned due to worries from U.S legislators over the use of data.
Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, told advertisers: “I want you to know that we are not backing down.”
The company conducted an invite-only NewFronts presentation for advertisers.
This was buoyed by earlier news of a partnership with Universal Music to reinstate the label’s tracks on the platform.
Last month, President Biden signed legislation that mandates a ban on TikTok in the U.S. unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, finds a new owner within a year.
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TikTok has denounced the bill as unconstitutional and is preparing a legal challenge.
The platform’s removal could disrupt many advertisers who have become fond of TikTok’s ability to connect with the elusive Gen Z demographic.
Users aged 18 to 24 spend approximately 77 minutes a day on the app, according to Emarketer data.
Jon Morgenstern, head of investment at VaynerMedia, said: “Advertisers love TikTok because their target audiences love TikTok.”
Emarketer predicts TikTok’s U.S. ad revenues to grow by 31 percent this year to $8.66 billion.
This is 2.8 percent of the total digital ad expenditure.
