TikTok, ByteDance Employees Worked for Chinese State Media, Says Report

San Francisco, Aug 12: A minimum of 300 workers of TikTok and its guardian firm ByteDance workers labored for the Chinese state media publications, and greater than a dozen nonetheless do, the media reported.

LinkedIn profiles of ByteDance and TikTok workers confirmed them in present roles as content material partnerships, technique, coverage, public affairs, monetisation and ‘media cooperation’, experiences Forbes. ByteDance Layoffs: TikTok’s Mum or dad Firm Shuts Sport Growth Studio, Lays Off Over 100 Employees

Profiles of 15 present ByteDance workers revealed they labored on the tech agency and state media retailers concurrently.

“Fifteen indicate that current ByteDance employees are also concurrently employed by Chinese state media entities, including Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International and China Central/China Global Television,” the report mentioned late on Thursday.

The LinkedIn profiles reviewed by Forbes “reveal significant connections between TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and the propaganda arm of the Chinese government, which has been investing heavily in using social media to amplify disinformation that serves the Chinese Communist Party”.

Based on the report, ByteDance and TikTok didn’t contest that the 300 LinkedIn profiles signify present workers or deny their connections to Chinese state media.

A spokesperson for ByteDance mentioned that the corporate makes “hiring decisions based purely on an individual’s professional capability to do the job”.

“For our China-market businesses, that includes people who have previously worked in government or state media positions in China. Outside of China, employees also bring experience in government, public policy, and media organisations from dozens of markets,” the corporate mentioned.

Forbes recognized 49 LinkedIn profiles for TikTok and ByteDance workers who beforehand labored for CCTV and CGTN.

Amongst them have been CCTV’s former editor-in-chief, who now serves as ByteDance’s director of media content material partnerships, and a ByteDance abroad market operator whose profile says he’s nonetheless an editor for CCTV.

TikTok’s rise has generated nationwide safety considerations from US lawmakers.

TikTok lately admitted that workers outdoors of the nation may entry that info, though “robust cybersecurity controls and authorisation” from its US safety crew have been required.

In June, Buzzfeed Information reported that TikTok customers’ information within the US was repeatedly accessed by workers in China.

(The above story first appeared on OKEEDA on Aug 12, 2022 10:53 AM IST. For extra information and updates on politics, world, sports activities, leisure and way of life, go browsing to our website latestly.com).