Facing an existential threat in the form of a nationwide ban, TikTok is fighting for its life as any savvy company would: by doubling down on its lobbying and public relations efforts. The company’s lobbying expenditures have exploded over the last year, and it organized a gathering of prominent TikTokers last week on Capitol Hill to speak out against the ban. But there’s another, arguably more sinister, front in this PR push: third-party op-eds written by trusted policy experts in defense of the company.

While it may not be ideal to have a Chinese-owned company lobbying American officials, at least those elected officials understand what they’re dealing with: lobbyists paid by a company to advance its interests. And while it’s a bit unseemly for “Back in the Kitchen with Bae” to be doing TikTok’s bidding amid a nationwide national security debate, it seems unlikely she’ll be exerting an outsized influence on the Biden Administration’s decision. But when tech policy experts and civil liberties advocates speak out against the ban, their words pack more of a punch — which is troubling, given some of the loudest TikTok-friendly voices have demonstrable financial ties to the company.

Having a financial incentive to make a particular argument doesn’t necessarily render said argument insincere — but as a reader, it’s good to be aware of such incentives, especially when the issues are complex, and the stakes are high. Here’s a list of such incentives at play in the TikTok debate: