U.S. senators have said TikTok is spreading Russian military propaganda and have adressed TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about it.
This was reported by Reuters.
"Recent reports suggest that TikTok […] has allowed Russian state media to fill the platform with dangerous pro-war propaganda. No company should be in a position to intensify the Kremlinʼs lies, which contribute to public support for Russiaʼs war in Ukraine," the statement said.
The letter was initiated by Senator Steve Danes. It was signed by John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, John Barrasso, James Lankford and Cynthia Lummis.
The senators said they were "deeply concerned" that TikTok "allows pro-war propaganda to spread among the Russian public, which could increase the already devastating human losses for both Ukrainians and Russians."
- On March 6, TikTok announced that it was suspending live streaming and uploading of videos to its platform in Russia under Russian law, but U.S. senators said TikTok had failed to "fully ensure that."
- On May 1, the British Foreign Office said that Russia was using a "troll factory" to spread misinformation about the war in Ukraine on social media. Traces of the operation were found on eight social networks, including Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.