ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is taking employee misconduct rather seriously. The company’s Corporate Discipline and Professional Ethics Committee has reported a staggering 61 cases of violations of laws and discipline.
As per internal sources, this has led to the immediate dismissal of all implicated employees.
There are four individuals now under criminal investigation by public security organs for suspected criminal activities. Among them, an employee allegedly abused their position to illicitly accept substantial benefits from external business partners. This resulted in their criminal detention for investigation since 26 January.
Another former outsourced employee allegedly colluded with external parties to inflate TikTok account views, earning illegal income and facing similar consequences.
Furthermore, 24 employees were found involved in various forms of misconduct, including submitting inflated invoices or personal expenses as legitimate business costs, misusing company funds, and engaging in fraudulent activities. One employee notably misappropriated company resources for personal gain, while multiple others were guilty of submitting false reimbursements.
Moreover, ten employees were implicated in unauthorised access, retention, and disclosure of internal company information, as well as facilitating external individuals’ use of sensitive internal systems. These breaches ranged from collaboration with competitors to leaking sensitive business information to external parties, severely compromising ByteDance’s integrity and operations.
ByteDance has taken swift action, revoking their stock options and year-end bonus eligibility. Furthermore, the company has unequivocally stated its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, bribery, and all forms of fraud and dishonest behaviour. Any confirmed violations of laws, regulations, or employee codes of conduct result in immediate dismissal, with no chance of rehire.
For cases suspected of criminal activity, the company pledges full cooperation with judicial authorities to ensure individuals are held accountable for their actions.
