According to a BBC Investigation report, TikTok took 70% of the proceedings that were collected by the Syrian families as they beg on Livestream for cash gifts and digital payments. According to BBC, the streams were earning up to $1,000 (£900) an hour.
TikTok Denied Taking 70% of the Proceedings from Syrian Families
TikTok said that this type of content was not allowed on its platform and that it would take prompt action against “exploitative begging”.The company also mentioned to the British broadcaster that its commission from digital gifts was significantly less than 70 percent, but declined to confirm the exact amount. As per details, TikTok middleman Hamid Al-Alwa was facilitating the trend by providing families with the phones and equipment to go live.
Hamid told BBC that he helps manage the families’ accounts, but that the value of the gifts sent to the refugees is greatly diminished. The report suggests that the Livestream viewers send the gifts – ranging from digital roses, costing a few cents, to virtual lions costing around $500 – to reward or tip creators for content. referring to the lion, Hamid said; “If we get a lion as a gift, it’s worth $500. By the time it reaches the money exchange in Al-Dana, it’s only $155.”
The British Broadcaster Ran an Experiment to Track the Money
To track the money, a reporter in Syria contacted a TikTok-affiliated agency and said he is living in the camps to obtain a Tiktok account. The BBC staff in London sent TikTok gifts worth $106 from another account as soon as he went live. Despite TikTok claims, after the Livestream ended, the Syrian test account had a balance of $33, stating that the short-form video platform took 69% of the money generated from the stream.
Also read: TikTok Under Fire for Promoting Epilepsy and Migraine Medicines as Weight Loss Aide to Kids
