TikTok pledges $250 million to coronavirus relief efforts

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By dpa Time of article published118s ago

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Beijing – Beijing-based social media platform TikTok on Thursday pledged $250 million to support front-line workers, educators, and local communities affected by the coronavirus crisis.

The short-form video app has also set aside an additional $100 million in advertising credits to businesses looking to rebuild. 

Public health organizations, such as the Centre for Disease Control Foundation (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), will also receive $15 million and $10 million, respectively, in advertising credits. 

The CDC Foundation said in a tweet on Thursday it was “tremendously grateful” for the donation. 

TikTok had previously partnered with WHO producing educational live streams for public health and science with popular voices including Bill Nye “the Science Guy.” 

The company also said it’s working with global partners to distribute masks and other personal protective equipment to hospitals in hard-hit countries such as Italy, South Korea, and the United States. 

“We understand that these are challenging times for everyone,” TikTok Chief Executive Alex Zhu said in a statement. 

“We are committed to offering the very best that we can to help out humanity,” Zhu added. 

The popular social media app TikTok was released in 2016. In 2019, it was the seventh-most downloaded app of the decade, according to technology news website CNET.