'This can count as taking money from orphans, right?'
The short-lived video platform TikTok is currently under investigation for allegedly using Syrian refugee victims to generate income.
According to a source from the BBC, TikTok is said to be manipulating profits from live broadcasts (livestreams) where Syrian refugees ask for gifts or cash gifts.
For information, TikTok introduced a cash gifts system that allows users to donate a certain amount of money to content creators (creators) during livestreams.
It is understood that Syrian refugee victims can earn almost $1,000 in an hour doing livestreams but only receive a quarter of that value.
This issue gained attention after a 'TikTok middle man', Hamid Al-Alwa who managed the account for 12 Syrian refugee families revealed that the value of the cash gift received was a quarter of the original value.
He explained that the lion's cash gifts which should be worth $500 became $155 when it reached his hands.
Following that, the BBC itself conducted an investigation with one of its reporters making livestreams using a TikTok account from Syria.
In the experiment BCC contributed a cash gift worth $106 of which the journalist is said to have only received $33.03.
Following the discovery, TikTok has released its own investigation and also said it will take the best action to solve the problem.
