TikTok’s Multi-Million Dollar Lobbying Efforts to Save Itself in the U.S.

TikTok, the popular social media app, and its parent company ByteDance have been aggressively lobbying in Washington D.C. to prevent the passing of legislation that could potentially ban the app in the United States. The companies have collectively spent over $7 million this year alone on lobbying efforts, with ByteDance spending a record $2.68 million on in-house TikTok lobbyists in the first quarter of the year.

In addition to the in-house lobbying, TikTok also invested over $4.5 million in a television and digital ad campaign aimed at pushing back on legislation that could result in the app’s ban. These expenditures were made in an effort to educate policymakers about the potential impacts on TikTok’s American user base, which currently stands at 170 million users.

The lobbying efforts extended to Congress and President Joe Biden’s executive office, where TikTok officials worked to influence decision-makers on the proposed legislation. The House recently passed a bill that would give ByteDance nine months to divest the social media app or face a ban, while the Senate is scheduled to vote on a similar bill on Tuesday.

Apart from the in-house lobbying, ByteDance also paid external consultants, such as veteran lobbyist David Urban, $80,000 last quarter to influence Congress on the March bill targeting the technology company. This spending on external consultants is in addition to the millions spent on in-house lobbying efforts.

Since the beginning of the year, TikTok has spent over $400,000 on outside lobbying firms in Washington. This is a part of the larger lobbying budget that ByteDance and TikTok have allocated for their efforts to prevent a potential ban on the app in the U.S. In 2023, ByteDance and TikTok collectively spent over $8 million on lobbying efforts.

The significant lobbying expenditures by TikTok and ByteDance highlight the importance of the U.S. market for the popular social media app. With millions invested in lobbying efforts, the companies are making a concerted effort to ensure that TikTok remains accessible to its American user base. The outcome of the upcoming Senate vote will determine the future of TikTok in the United States and the effectiveness of the companies’ lobbying strategies.