A former TikTok executive has alleged that she was required to pledge support for China’s “socialist system” and national interests, as revealed in a lawsuit and documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Katie Puris, who served as TikTok’s head of global brand and creative, claims in the lawsuit that her employer, along with its Chinese parent company ByteDance and subsidiary Douyin, discriminated against her on the basis of gender and age. Puris said that she was forced to sign an agreement with Douyin that required her to pledge allegiance to China’s socialist system and refrain from actions that could harm the nation’s “national honor” or “ethnic unity.”
The document also demanded employees avoid revealing “state secrets,” refrain from spreading “meaningless information,” and comply with China’s strict censorship policies. Puris argued that this agreement underscores ByteDance’s alleged control over TikTok’s operations, challenging claims of its independence from Beijing.
The allegations have sparked condemnation from the US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. In a post on X, the committee wrote: “BREAKING: Documents And Recordings Reveal How TikTok Forced Staff To Swear Oaths To Uphold China’s ‘Socialist System.’ TikTok’s supposed independence is a fraud… ByteDance directly manages TikTok’s internal functions from China.”
The legal battle emerges amid heightened scrutiny of TikTok in the United States over its ties to the Chinese government. The US Supreme Court is currently set to decide on the constitutionality of a law signed by President Joe Biden, which could force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a nationwide ban. The case has ignited intense debate about national security, with lawmakers expressing concerns about the platform’s potential influence by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Michigan Representative John Moolenaar called for ByteDance to divest from TikTok, labeling the company’s claims of independence as “misleading.” Meanwhile, TikTok has denied the allegations, with a company spokesperson stating, “We cannot comment on false claims meant to push a political agenda.”
(Inputs from ANI)