In response to ongoing challenges related to the handling of Israel-Hamas war content and hate speech, TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is rolling out new initiatives to enhance content moderation and combat discriminatory trends on its platform.
Comment Filtering Tools:
One of the notable additions is the introduction of new comment filtering tools. "Comment Care Mode" is a key feature that automatically filters comments deemed similar to previously reported or deleted comments made by the creator. Another feature targets comments from accounts not in the creator's following or follower list. The platform plans to boost awareness of these tools among new users through prompts after their first video upload.
Anti-Hate and Discrimination Task Force:
TikTok has established an anti-hate and discrimination task force dedicated to proactively identifying and addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other hate trends before they escalate. The task force will collaborate with experts to enhance moderator training on handling hate speech. Additionally, TikTok aims to expand its managed creator communities to include Jewish, inter-faith, API, and LGBTQ+ communities in the coming year.
Research APIs for Civil Society Groups:
In a move toward increased transparency, TikTok plans to expand access to its research APIs to civil society groups. This step aligns with requests from organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, allowing them to better understand the types of content circulating on the platform.
While TikTok has faced accusations of algorithmic bias, the platform has been actively removing a substantial amount of content related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Between October 7 and November 30, TikTok removed 1.3 million videos, including content promoting Hamas, hate speech, terrorism, and misinformation.
These initiatives showcase TikTok's commitment to addressing content moderation challenges and fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for its diverse user base.