TikTok has pushed Chinese propaganda ads to millions across Europe

FORBES

TikTok has served up a flood of ads from Chinese state propaganda outlets to millions of Europeans in recent months, according to a new ad library published by the company on July 20. The promotions range in topic from defenses of Chinese Covid-19 lockdowns to adorable cats playing on the Great Wall of China to efforts to recast the country’s Xinjiang region — where it has persecuted and detained more than one million mostly Muslim Uyghurs — as a spectacular tourist destination.

An analysis of the ad library conducted by Forbes showed that as of Wednesday, July 26, more than 1,000 ads from Chinese state media outlets like People’s Daily and CGTN have run on the platform since October 2022. They have been served to millions of users across Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The ad library does not yet display data on ads presented to users in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries outside of Europe.

Much of the content advertised by China state media on TikTok focused on frequent talking points from its TV, radio and print outlets that tout China’s economy, technology and cultural heritage. References to Xinjiang, where the U.S. government have branded the Chinese government’s campaign of mass repression, imprisonment and “reeducation” as a genocide, appeared in 92 of the 124 adverts promoted by one state media account.

One ad, shown in March, was paid for by China News International and featured a man doing a traditional dance under the caption “Xinjiang is a good place!” Another video shows a CGTN host visiting an elementary school in Xinjiang. The school visited by the host was located in the county of Pishan in Xinjiang, where the Australian Strategic Policy Institute has tracked the construction of six detention facilities. Ads also tout tours of the region and the culture of its mostly Muslim Uyghur population.

Other ads appear to be more overtly political in topic and tone: one ad, shown in December, featured an academic criticizing U.S. and European resistance to the Chinese international development project the Belt & Road Initiative. Another ad featured a video from a vlogger who has accused Western media of lying about the Chinese government’s human rights abuses. According to the ad library, it was running on TikTok as recently as last week.

An FAQ page for the new ad library says: “TikTok does not show political or election ads on the platform. So you will not be able to find ads of political nature in the Commercial Content Library.” TikTok’s ad policies prohibit advertising about social issues, elections and politics, though they note that “government entities may be eligible to advertise if working with a TikTok Sales Representative.” TikTok spokesperson Jamie Favazza did not reply to questions about whether ads criticizing Western governments’ responses to China’s Belt & Road initiative, defending China’s Covid-19 policies, and promoting tourism in Xinjiang were permitted under TikTok’s no-political-ads policy.

Asked whether the People’s Daily, Global Times, and other Chinese state media outlets were working with a sales representative, Favazza said the company did not consider state-controlled media to be government agencies so its rules on government, politician and political parties did not apply. She noted that the ads appeared to be primarily purchased through agencies. The state media agencies did not respond to a request for comment…