TikTok ban will remove videos of Donald Trump inciting rioters
Trump hasn't successfully banned TikTok in the US yet, but it has banned some of his content.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and YouTube, Donald Trump does not have a TikTok account for the service to suspend, but it is laying a ban down on certain content related to Wednesday’s riots in Washington D.C. People who support the president stormed the capitol building while Congress certified election results declaring Joe Biden the next president, sending legislators and staffers into hiding.
As first reported by TechCrunch, TikTok’s misinformation content policy will, like the other platforms, block posts of Donald Trump’s video where he called the rioters “very special” because they include claims of election fraud. Counter speech videos with factual information are still allowed.
Meanwhile, videos from news organizations reporting on the incident will be allowed, while hashtags used by the rioters are being redirected to reduce discoverability. In a statement, a spokesperson said “Hateful behavior and violence have no place on TikTok. Content or accounts that seek to incite, glorify, or promote violence violate our Community Guidelines and will be removed.”
The president told reporters he would ban TikTok in July. A deadline for its sale or shut down passed in December and the service continues to operate.
