Bytedance

The company has statements regarding accessible design principles and continues to provide evidence of accessibility features in its products. Further, it states that it works with disability organisations to improve their products. Additionally, Bytedance demonstrates efforts towards reducing the digital gender gaps. For example, in Brazil they partner with a national organisation that provides support for afro-Brazilian women

No evidence was found of the company having leading practices in this area.

The company has a statement on child online safety and describes policies for reporting and working with local authorities. The company has improved reporting on its security practices, such as disclosing its information security management certification. Additionally, it provides a transparency report that details government demands by country of operation.

ByteDance provides support for start-ups through targeted programmes in particular for those funded by persons from underrepresented groups.

No evidence was found regarding the company’s efforts to make digital technology more universally available. There is an opportunity for ByteDance to report how the economic value it generates is distributed among stakeholders as well as the taxes paid and employment generated by the company in its main markets of operation.

No evidence was found that ByteDance supports activities to help develop digital skills or enhance school connectivity. There is an opportunity for the company to support initiatives in these areas.

ByteDance can improve in this area by further increasing its transparency regarding cybersecurity practices as well as by disclosing a group-level privacy policy.

No evidence was found on ByteDance’s activities relating to open, inclusive and ethical innovation. There is an opportunity for the company to report on initiatives in this area and disclose how it considers ethics in its research and development (R&D) activities.

ByteDance does not publicly commit to respecting human rights and does not disclose a process to identify, assess and take action on salient human rights risks its own operations and in its business relationships. Although the company states that its philosophy is informed by the ILO core labour rights, it is not clear how it commits to respecting freedom of association and collective bargaining. While ByteDance has a grievance mechanism accessible to both workers and external stakeholders to raise human rights concerns and complaints, it is unclear if complainants are able to choose to remain anonymous.  

The company publicly commits to respecting the health and safety of its workers; however it does not place the same expectation on its business relationships or their performance. The company lacks disclosure in reference to labour fundamentals. For example, the company is not explicit in stating that it does not require workers to work more than regular and overtime hours, it does not disclose the percentage of its workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements, and it provides no relevant evidence in relation to paying its workers a living wage. Furthermore, ByteDance does not provide a breakdown of diversity within each employee category.

ByteDance has a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption, but it does not include anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in contracts with its business relationships and does not have a grievance mechanism for stakeholders to raise bribery and corruption concerns and complaints. The company does not disclose any information in relation to tax, such as a global tax strategy or income tax payments in all of its tax jurisdictions. ByteDance lacks disclosure across the board in relation to lobbying and political engagement. For example, the company does not state that it does not make political contributions and does not disclose its lobbying expenditures.