Former employees of ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, claim that the company placed pro-China propaganda in its now-defunct U.S. news app, TopBuzz.
that four former employees of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, claim that the company used its now-defunct English-language news app TopBuzz to push pro-China messages to Americans. The former employees, all of whom worked for TopBuzz, claim that the company told them to place specific pro-China messaging in the app. ByteDance denies these claims.
Three of the former employees claim that TopBuzz staff sometimes promoted this content by “pinning” it to the top of the app. One former employee specifically remembered staff posting panda videos in the app alongside videos promoting travel to China. Another remembered a staff member pinning a video of a western man talking about the benefits of moving his startup company to China.
The former employees claim that staff members were required to provide evidence to ByteDance that the content had been placed in the app as directed. Three of the employees said staff members were required to take screenshots of the live content in TopBuzz and send them back to the company. One source said most of the pro-China messages were “soft” rather than overt political statements, but added: “Let’s be real, this was not something you could say no to. If they don’t do it, somebody’s going to jail.”
A ByteDance spokesperson told BuzzFeed News in an email: “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.”
Deutschland Neuesten Nachrichten, Deutschland Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
TikTok owner ByteDance reportedly pushed pro-China messages in defunct news app | EngadgetTopBuzz employees have also claimed that the app flagged coverage of Hong Kong protests for removal, according to BuzzFeed News..
Weiterlesen »
'Wren Eleanor' TikTok movement inspires moms on social media to remove photos of kids: 'Sick people'Parents on social media have begun deleting photos of their kids after TikTok sleuths noticed a disturbing trend on an account belonging to 3-year-old Wren Eleanor.
Weiterlesen »
Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner Join Calls Urging Instagram to Stop Copying TikTokTwo of Instagram’s most-followed celebs — Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner — want the Meta-owned social service to stop trying to mimic surging rival TikTok. The sisters both poste…
Weiterlesen »
17 TikTok Creators Giving Actually-Good Style AdviceWe've found genius styling hacks, scientific methods of finding one's personal style and more:
Weiterlesen »
TikTok Nurse Apologizes After Creating List of Plastic Surgery Procedures to Perform on Natalia DyerThe medical professional went viral for a clip that also featured a photoshopped image of what the Stranger Things star could look like (via toofab)
Weiterlesen »
Instagram Head Responds to Kardashian Backlash Over Platform Aping TikTok: “We’re Going to Need to Evolve”Adam Mosseri addressed the growing disquiet and the 'Make Instagram Instagram Again' campaign.
Weiterlesen »