CCP-backed ByteDance has Influence and Ownership in Multiple Industries

According to reports, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) – linked company ByteDance not only owns video application technology companies such as TikTok in the United States, CCP-backed Douban, as well as other technology companies, but ByteDance also owns companies in various industries. ByteDance has extended its influence to various fields such as news and medical industries, including video games, journalism, medicine, medical and education industries.

ByteDance’s support for the CCP’s censorship and propaganda has long attracted attention. Former ByteDance CEO Zhang Yiming once said he wanted to use the platform to ‘promote socialist core values’ and contribute to the CCP. Data analytics firm Sensor Tower identified 70 active ByteDance-affiliated apps.

Most recently, ByteDance acquired Amcare Healthcare, one of the largest ‘private’ hospital chains in Communist China, for $1.5 billion. ByteDance is snapping up at least 6 different industries on a shocking scale. From video game start-ups to medical websites and payment processors, ByteDance even dabbled in educational apps and real estate listings at one point. Even cafe chain Manner Coffee and Chinese lemon tea brand Ning Ji have claimed ByteDance as a significant investor.

In 2018, ByteDance acquired Indonesian news app Baca Berita, i.e., BaBe. In 2021, ByteDance also acquired virtual reality headset maker Pico and major Chinese video game maker Moonton. These are just a few of ByteDance’s companies and products.

The CCP owns board seats and financial shares in ByteDance. The CCP Government requires companies to provide increasingly detailed information and data from tech companies for reasons including national security and intelligence sharing, which raises concerns about ByteDance’s recent expansion. ByteDance’s influence also extends to U.S. elections, where TikTok recently launched an election hub in partnership with a U.S. federal government project in preparation for the 2022 midterm elections.