From May 14 to 16, 2024, Doha will host the prestigious Qatar Economic Forum, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and experts from around the world to discuss pressing global economic issues. The forum will focus on international collaboration, innovative solutions, and sustainable economic practices.
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have collectively invested over $7 million this year in lobbying efforts to prevent a potential ban of the app in the United States. ByteDance has spent a record $2.68 million on in-house lobbyists, while TikTok has allocated over $4.5 million to an ad campaign opposing legislation targeting the app. These expenditures aim to educate policymakers about the legislation’s potential impact on TikTok’s 170 million American users. The disclosures indicate that TikTok officials have lobbied Congress and the Biden administration, including the National Security Council and the Office of Management and Budget. While the House has passed legislation that would require ByteDance to divest TikTok within nine months, the Senate is expected to vote on a similar bill on Tuesday. Additionally, ByteDance has retained external consultants, including veteran lobbyist David Urban, to influence Congress.
