TikTok Updates Hate Speech Policy
Social media platform TikTok has announced an update to their hate speech policy. TikTok has taken the world by storm, with many young people using the platform to showcase their creativity. We reported on how especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok saw a big surge in popularity. Young people used the platform to dispel misinformation around the virus, and to share moments of positivity during a difficult time. We have also looked at how TikTok is used as an unconventional activist tool, and how some people are directly fighting hate on the platform.
With an increase in users, we also noticed an increase in hate speech on the platform. Particularly with the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory, TikTok was one of the platforms people turned to to spread this content. TikTok has since taken an active approach in dealing with such hateful content, recently cracking down on QAnon accounts. While such steps are positive, an update to the platform’s Community Standards signals a more permanent change in the handling of hate speech on TikTok.
In their announcement of the changes, TikTok stated: “While our Trust & Safety teams already work to remove hate speech and hateful ideologies, such as neo-Nazism and white supremacy, we are strengthening our enforcement action to remove neighbouring ideologies, such as white nationalism, white genocide theory, as well as statements that have their origin in these ideologies, and movements such as Identitarianism and male supremacy.”
“This includes misinformation about notable Jewish individuals and families who are used as proxies to spread antisemitism. We're also removing content that is hurtful to the LGBTQ+ community by removing hateful ideas, including content that promotes conversion therapy and the idea that no one is born LGBTQ+.”
These updated Community Standards are a step in the right direction; however, the enforcement of these policies is what truly counts. On this, TikTok continued: ”We're working to incorporate the evolution of expression into our policies and are training our enforcement teams to better understand more nuanced content like cultural appropriation and slurs. If a member of a disenfranchised group, such as the LGBTQ+, Black, Jewish, Roma and minority ethnic communities, uses a word as a term of empowerment, we want our enforcement teams to understand the context behind it and not mistakenly take the content down. On the other hand, if a slur is being used hatefully, it doesn't belong on TikTok. Educating our enforcement teams on these crucial distinctions is ongoing work, and we strive to get this right for our community. “
As a project, we welcome these changes to TikTok’s Community Standards. We will continue to monitor the platform for hate speech to evaluate wether these changes are implemented sufficiently.