TikTok has declared war on its most problematic users. The popular social media platform will remove creators from the “For You” feed who continuously post videos with problematic content. This includes any sexually suggestive or explicit content, conspiracy theories, or extreme fitness advice, among others.
According to the publication The Verge, TikTok made this change to its community guidelines last Wednesday. While it is not prohibited to upload this kind of content to TikTok, users who repeatedly publish videos on these topics will have their accounts temporarily restricted.
Adam Presser, Chief Operating Officer at TikTok, wrote that “we are introducing a policy where an entire account can temporarily not be recommended in the ‘For You’ feed if a creator repeatedly posts content that goes against our guidelines.” This means that “their account and content will be harder to find in searches. We will notify creators when their account has been restricted in this way and they will be able to appeal.”
The change, which will come into effect from May 17th, aims to penalize creators who intentionally promote harmful content within the social network. It also seeks to deter users under the punishment of reducing the visibility of their posts.
Users who publish videos with “repetitive content patterns” will also be affected by this measure. This means that certain topics can be covered occasionally. This includes diets, extreme fitness, suggestive content, and poorly contrasted mental health information.
TikTok and other social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook have been widely criticized for promoting harmful content, mainly targeting younger users. This is a good measure that will hopefully help create a safer online environment for TikTok users.
Source: The Verge
