TikTok will issue strikes to people who post content that bullies or harasses
(Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Archive)TikTok is implementing a new system to penalise users who repeatedly break the video app’s rules.
As part of the policy, users who violate TikTok’s community guidelines will receive a strike when their content is removed, the company announced on Thursday. Multiple strikes will result in a permanent ban, TikTok said.
The company is notifying its users of the changes as they roll out globally. Strikes will be dished out to users who make rule-breaking comments on posts and livestreams, or those who breach specific policies on bullying and harassment, the company explained.
The threshold for being kicked off the app will vary based on the severity of the violation. In the most severe cases, users will be banned immediately on the first strike. This currently applies to content that promotes or threatens violence, shows or facilitates child sexual abuse material, shows real-world violence or torture, and non-consensual sex acts such as rape or molestation.
It will also take stricter action against those who violate its policies against promoting hateful ideologies versus those who share “low-harm spam”, a TikTok spokesperson told the Evening Standard.
The app’s new enforcement regime comes as social networks are facing heightened scrutiny. The UK’s Online Safety Bill – which places a duty of care on internet platforms to protect children from harmful material – is currently making its way through parliament.
MPs from both sides of the political aisle have called for the bill to carry tougher punishments for tech bosses, including up to two years in jail if they are found to be in breach of the law.
TikTok itself has previously come under fire for showing users potentially dangerous content, including Covid-19 misinformation and clips that could encourage eating disorders, self-harm and suicide.
The new rules are a move away from TikTok’s current system of enforcement that relies on a mix of temporary suspensions and educational resources. The company’s analysis has found that repeat violators typically follow a pattern of behaviour, with 90% of miscreants consistently abusing the same feature, and over 75% repeatedly infringing the same policy.
TikTok is introducing the policy after hearing from creators that its current enforcement system is “confusing to navigate”.
“On the whole, we’re … bringing more transparency to violations accrued by an account, and will warn a creator if their account is on the threshold of being permanently removed,” the TikTok spokesperson said.
