"Experiment Result: Donation Amount 150,000 Won but Balance Only 27,000 Won"
TikTok "Will Take Measures to Eradicate Exploitative Begging Practices"
Residents of a Syrian refugee camp are posting fundraising videos on TikTok. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Reports have emerged that TikTok, China's leading video platform, is profiting from fundraising videos made by Syrian refugees. It is said that the refugees receive only a very small portion of the revenue generated through live streaming.
According to the BBC on the 12th (local time), residents of Syrian refugee camps request donations through TikTok live streaming videos and receive digital gifts that can be converted into currency.
Mona Ali Alkarim, who has six daughters, uploads fundraising videos to TikTok every day. She sits on the tent floor for hours, repeating a few English phrases she knows such as "Please like," "Please share," and "Please send gifts." Alkarim lost her husband in an airstrike, and her daughter Sharifa became visually impaired.
According to the BBC, such videos are increasing due to brokers. So-called 'TikTok intermediaries' provide refugees with equipment such as mobile phones to help them film fundraising videos and take a portion of the earnings as payment.
The BBC tracked 30 TikTok accounts live streaming from Syrian refugee camps over five months and found cases earning up to $1,000 per hour. However, the actual refugees received only a very small fraction of this income. When asked for an explanation, TikTok refused to disclose details about the revenue.
In response, the BBC conducted an experiment by creating a TikTok account pretending to live in a Syrian refugee camp and uploading fundraising videos. A BBC staff member in London sent digital gifts worth $106 (about 151,000 KRW) through another account, but when the live streaming ended, the experiment account had earned only $33 (about 47,000 KRW). This means TikTok took about 69% of the gift value.
Moreover, when withdrawing the remaining $33 balance at a local store, an additional 10% fee was deducted, and TikTok intermediaries took 35%. Ultimately, the amount left was only $19 (about 27,000 KRW).
Influencer Case Mason, who recently donated $330 (about 470,000 KRW) to a Syrian refugee family, expressed outrage, saying, "This is unacceptable. It is unfair to Syrian families." He has also encouraged other TikTok users to donate.
TikTok responded to the controversy by stating, "(Fundraising) content is not allowed on the platform, and the commission from digital gifts is less than 70%," but refused to confirm the exact amounts. They also stated they would "take immediate action against exploitative begging behavior."
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