ByteDance, TikTok’s guardian firm primarily based in China, used its now-defunct information app known as TopBuzz to unfold pro-China messages, in line with BuzzFeed News. Former staff who labored on the English-language information aggregator advised the publication that ByteDance ordered workers members to “pin” content material that confirmed China in a optimistic gentle or content material that promoted the nation to the highest of the app. They had been even reportedly required to offer proof, akin to screenshots of the stay content material, to point out that that they had complied with the corporate’s orders. TopBuzz managed to succeed in 40 million month-to-month lively customers by 2018.
The content material the previous staff helped promote included panda movies, together with movies endorsing journey to China. At least one workers member additionally keep in mind pinning a video that includes a white man speaking about the advantages of transferring his startup to the nation. As one of many former staff put it, the content material ByteDance needed them to advertise wasn’t something overtly political and took extra of a comfortable promote method. However, they added: “Let’s be real, this was not something you could say no to.”
In addition to selling pro-China content material, former workers members claimed that TopBuzz had a assessment system that might flag studies on the Chinese authorities for removing. They mentioned the flagged content material included protection of Hong Kong protests, items that point out President Xi Jinping and even those who reference Winnie the Pooh. Some staff additionally mentioned that content material depicting brazenly LGBTQ+ folks had been eliminated at instances.
A ByteDance spokesperson denied the previous staff’ claims and known as them “false and ridiculous.” In a press release despatched to BuzzFeed, they mentioned:
“The claim that TopBuzz — which was discontinued years ago — pinned pro-Chinese government content to the top of the app or worked to promote it is false and ridiculous. TopBuzz had over two dozen top tier US and UK media publishing partners, including BuzzFeed, which clearly did not find anything of concern when performing due diligence.”
While TopBuzz was shut down again in June 2020, TikTok could be very a lot alive and nicely. Authorities and critics have lengthy been frightened that ByteDance would use TikTok to unfold pro-China propaganda within the US, and we’re guessing that these new claims will not be assuaging anyone’s fears. Another BuzzFeed News report revealed in June make clear how ByteDance staff in China had repeatedly accessed personal info on TikTok customers within the US. The firm rapidly migrated US person site visitors to a brand new Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, however FCC commissioner Brendan Carr known as on Apple and Google to ban the app “for its pattern of surreptitious data practices” anyway.
CNN’s Brian Stelter beforehand asked TikTok’s head of public coverage for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, on whether or not the app might be used to affect politics and tradition within the US. Beckerman replied that TikTok is “not the go-to place for politics” and that “the primary thing that people are coming and using TikTok for is entertainment and joyful and fun content.” As BuzzFeed News notes, although, a whole lot of younger folks now use TikTok as their major supply of data, together with politics and breaking information.
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