Media Research Center (MRC) has revealed that Chinese-owned social media giant TikTok has a strong connection to left-leaning candidates and groups. According to MRC Business, 94 percent of the donations made by TikTok employees, totaling $62,088.00, went to left-wing candidates and groups between July 2020 and August 2022. This comes as TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before Congress on Thursday.
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), with the party holding a financial stake and board seat. Open Secrets records show that 122 donations, totaling over $66,000, were made by TikTok employees. In comparison, only $4,250 in donations were made to Republican politicians by the company’s employees.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) were the biggest recipients of donations from TikTok employees, with President Joe Biden receiving over $2,000 in 2020. Biden had previously rolled back restrictions on TikTok, which were put in place during the Trump administration.
As TikTok continues to grow in popularity, the revelations about employee donations raise questions about the platform’s political affiliations and ties to the Chinese government.