The Problem with TikTok’s Claim of Independence from Beijing
www.hrw.org
“ByteDance is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government. It is a private company,” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said during the March 23 hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“It’s not uncommon for Chinese authorities to forcibly “disappear” business executives, a practice that has increased in recent years under President Xi Jinping. Some executives have never been heard from again. Some have returned to work as if nothing had happened. Some ended up going to prison. Some even mysteriously died when incarcerated.”

  • ailiphilia@feddit.itOP
    41·
    2 years ago

    Fair. The article is not specifically about TikTok, though. For example, it mentions the case of Whitney Duan and her ex-husband (here’s an article about it) who wrote a book about that topic. One book review reads:

    The Chinese Communist Party depicted in Shum’s firsthand account is the epitome of capitalist excess, with the sons and daughters of high-ranking party officials going on global shopping and gambling sprees, spending the vast sums their parents and relatives amassed through rampant corruption, influence-peddling, ruthless political maneuvering and backstabbing.

    But just read the book yourself.