CCP Asks TikTok to Set Up Covert Foreign Propaganda Accounts

On July 29th, a company in charge of public relations for the Chinese Communist government attempted to open a secret account on TikTok to be used for propaganda against the Western public.

It is reported that back in April 2020, the heads of government relations in Ireland, the Netherlands and Israel received a letter from the Chinese Communist Party. The letter indicates that the CCP wants to create a type of TikTok account that does not label government organizations and is used to promote the CCP’s propaganda.

The TikTok platform allows government organizations to have verified accounts, such as the Chinese Embassy in the United States. The Youth League of the communist China is a big influencer on TikTok for propaganda by the Communist Party, with 8 million followers, twice as many as the popular pop singer Taylor Swift.

The CCP hopes to expand its state-controlled media in the coming months, adding multiple government and state-run accounts. It also hints at the possibility of paying TikTok to set up secret accounts. In response to the recent scandal and political crisis over the collection of U.S. user data, TikTok has paid a large lobbying fee to clear its ties with the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok’s rejection of the CCP’s request to open a secret account at this time is for the same purpose.