ByteDance, the parent company of popular social media platform TikTok, has been ramping up its efforts to lobby and advertise in the United States as the government applies pressure on the Chinese tech company. So far this year, ByteDance has spent over $7 million on lobbying Congress and advertising in swing states. This includes over $2.6 million on lobbying activities during the first quarter of 2024, as well as a record-breaking $3.7 million spent on lobbying during the third quarter of last year. TikTok, on the other hand, has spent $4.5 million on a consumer-facing advertising campaign, with a particular focus on key swing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The total expenditure of $7.1 million on ad buys and lobbying expenses comes close to the $8 million ByteDance spent lobbying Congress for all of 2023. A TikTok spokesperson highlighted that this spending reflects their efforts to educate policymakers about how legislation could impact their community of 170 million American users. These efforts come amidst ongoing concerns in Congress about national security threats related to TikTok, with the House of Representatives passing a bill earlier this year that would require ByteDance to sell TikTok within nine months or face a ban in the U.S.
President Joe Biden has expressed willingness to sign a TikTok ban into law, and the Senate is expected to vote on the ban as part of a foreign aid spending package. TikTok has strongly opposed these efforts, arguing that a ban would infringe on the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans and harm small businesses that rely on the platform for growth and job creation. Former President Donald Trump, who previously tried to ban TikTok through executive orders, has surprisingly emerged as an opponent of the ban this year, stating that it would benefit competitors like Facebook.
As the debate over TikTok’s future in the U.S. continues, the significant spending by ByteDance on lobbying and advertising reflects the company’s efforts to influence policymakers and secure the platform’s continued operation in the country. With a large user base and economic impact, TikTok has become a focal point in discussions about national security and technology regulation. The outcome of the Senate vote on the ban will be closely watched as it could have far-reaching implications for the app and its users.
