How TikTok is cashing in on the plight of Syrian refugees

Investigation BBC showed how TikTok and affiliates profit from live streaming of Syrian refugees who ask for money on the platform. Children and other families displaced by war perform live for hours asking for donations users. In accordance with BBCvideo can raise up to $1000 per houralthough families receive only a fraction.

Broadcasts are part a well-designed network involving Chinese agencies, brokers and TikTok itself. Refugees receive mobile phones with the help of a third party who, in turn, has contact with agencies known as the “Guilds Live StreamThese agencies are experts in promoting algorithms and are employed by TikTok, which pays them to promote live broadcasts.

The direct ones are children and families who sit for hours talking about their situation or just ask them to like and contribute. Although TikTok does not allow you to send money, the platform “virtual gifts” that act as support for content creators. Refugees can exchange gifts for cash, although they receive a small share.

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Collecting donations or aid is prohibited by TikTok’s terms of use, while the Community Guidelines state that the exploitation of minors on the platform must be prevented. The rules also state that You must be over 16 years old and have over 1000 followers. make it straight. In addition to this, the Virtual Items Policy makes it clear that TikTok will select users of the program “based on various criteria, including their history of creating quality content, number of followers, etc.”

While videos of refugees in Syria violate these rules, broadcasts are carried out with the help of foreign agencies under TikTok. live guilds, located in China and other countries, are dedicated to promoting the creation of quality live performances. According to BBC, TikTok pays these agencies a commission based on the duration and number of gifts. refugees receive.

They are the ones they provide accounts to the children of Syria and solve any problem, although there is one more link in this chain. Hamid, another displaced person living in one of the camps, gives his phone to 12 families so they can broadcast live. Hamid is an intermediary who serves as a link between the refugee and the agency And you get a percentage of the profits.

How much does Syrian refugee make on TikTok?

BBC conducted an experiment to test how much money the refugee will receive in direct. A Syrian reporter posed as a displaced person and contacted an agency to obtain a TikTok username. Having made a live broadcast and received a gift from the BBC, the test showed thate on the account was only 33% of the value of the virtual item.

Refugees have to deal not only with the TikTok commission, but also with percentage when withdrawing money and they have to pay an intermediary like Hamid for providing the phone. After all, families only get a fraction of what viewers send them. All this with the audience TikTok, which is accused of profiting from the misery of its users.

Direct refugees from Syria can lead to another serious problem if we consider groups that use minors to exploit them and generate economic income. Although the BBC reported on some of the accounts that were broadcast, the platform’s algorithm determined that they did not violate the rules. In the end, TikTok can pretend not to notice what is happening if he earns millions in income thanks to displaced persons.