TikTok is donating $375 million (R6 821 606 250) to coronavirus relief efforts.
The video-sharing app has become a staple during the pandemic, as people are forced to stay home using the service to communicate with the outside world.
The funds are being split between programs, medical staff and supplies, along with TikTok’s own community of users, including ‘musicians, artists, educators and families’ who have been impacted by the pandemic.
An additional $100 million (R1 819 095 000) will be given is ad credit to small and medium-sized businesses to help companies get back on their feet after the outbreak is under control.
The coronavirus began in Wuhan, China December 2019 and has spread to nearly every country around the globe.
As of Monday there are more than 1.6 million cases and over 95,000 deaths worldwide.
Along with infecting the public, the virus has forced many businesses to close up shop in a bid to limit the spread – and TikTok is hoping some of this funding will help them survive until ‘economies are able to restart normal.’
Alex Zhu, president of TikTok, shared: ‘The TikTok community is uplifting one another, caring for one another, and lending a hand to one another.
‘This may be a serious time, but on TikTok it can still be joyful – and deeply inspiring.’
‘We are committed to playing our part in that global outpouring of mutual support and giving. We want to magnify all we are seeing across our community and translate it into concrete relief for those most affected by this crisis.’
The funds will be allocated to different programs setup by the firm.
The community relief find is set to receive $40 million (R727 638 000), which will support the local community of TikTok users, which includes musicians, artists, nurses, educators, and families.
TikTok is also matching $10 million (R181m) in donations that the platform has raised to support this community and has already paid out $3 million (R54m) to provide food for families whose children rely on school lunches.
The firm is giving $50 million (R909m) in grants to its ‘TikTok Creative Learning Fund’ for educators, professional experts, and nonprofits whose real-world skills and expertise can help spread educational information and useful course material in an accessible, distance learning format.
Many tech companies have committed to donating millions of dollars to fight the coronavirus.
Facebook is set to provide $20 million, Amazon has pledge $1 million, but Twitter leads the pack with a $1 billion donation.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced last week that he is committing the amount from his own personal fortune through his philanthropic fund.
The move could be the largest from a single individual for coronavirus relief and comes with the pandemic spanning the globe and inflicting a heavy toll in lives and economic devastation on the United States – there are more than 573,000 cases of the virus and the death toll has surpassed 22,900 in the nation.
-Daily Mail
