TikTok Removes 380,000 Videos in US for Violating Hate Speech Policy

TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, also said it banned more than 1,300 accounts for posting hateful content.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 21 August 2020 14:57 IST
Highlights
  • TikTok also banned more than 1,300 accounts for posting hateful content
  • TikTok said it had a zero-tolerance policy on organized hate groups
  • The app has been under scrutiny over its content moderation practices

The app has been under scrutiny over its content moderation practices

Photo Credit: Reuters

TikTok has removed more than 380,000 videos in the US for violating its hate speech policy so far this year, the short-form video app said on Thursday.

The app, owned by China's ByteDance, also said it banned more than 1,300 accounts for posting hateful content.

TikTok said in a blog post that it had acted on content such as race-based harassment and that it also had a zero-tolerance policy on organized hate groups and on content that denied "violent tragedies" like the Holocaust or slavery.

Advertisement

The app, which is hugely popular among teenagers, is best known for dance and lip-syncing routines and viral challenges, but a review by the Anti-Defamation League earlier this month said that the platform was being used to spread white supremacist and anti-Semitic hate speech.

TikTok, which has been under scrutiny over its content moderation practices, in March named the initial members of a content advisory council, to give advice on its policies and evaluate the company's actions.

US President Donald Trump also ordered ByteDance last week to divest TikTok's US operations within 90 days, in the latest effort to ramp up pressure on the Chinese company over concerns about the safety of the personal data it handles. US officials have expressed concerns that information on users could be passed on to China's government.

Advertisement

TikTok has said that it has never provided user data to China and that it would not do so if asked.

© Thomson Reuters 2020

 


Should the government explain why Chinese apps were banned? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Further reading: TikTok, Bytedance, hate speech policy
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. OTT Releases of the Week (Jan 12 - Jan 18): Taskaree, 120 Bahadur, and More
  2. Redmi Note 15 Pro, Note 15 Pro+ 5G Could Launch in India on This Date
  3. iQOO Z11 Turbo With 200-Megapixel Camera Arrives in China at This Price
  4. Top Deals on OnePlus Smartphones During the Amazon Great Republic Day Sale
  5. iPhone 18 Pro Series, iPhone Fold Could Launch With These Specifications
  6. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Deals on Premium Smartphones
  7. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000
  8. OnePlus 15T Launch Timeline, Chipset Details Leaked
  9. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale Is Live: Best Offers Today
  10. Wicked: For Good OTT Release: Know When, Where to Watch the Musical Fantasy
  1. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Might Have Spotted Hidden Supermassive Black Holes
  2. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000
  3. OnePlus 15T Launch Timeline, Chipset Details Leaked: Expected Specifications, Features
  4. Vivo X200T Price in India, Design, Key Specifications Tipped Ahead of Launch
  5. India Becomes World’s Second Largest 5G Base with 400M+ Users, Says Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia
  6. Instagram Will Now Let You Dub and Lip Sync Reels Into Five Indian Languages
  7. Bitcoin Trades Above $95,000 as ETF Inflows Drive Market Sentiment
  8. Redmi Note 15 Pro, Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G India Launch Date Reportedly Leaked
  9. Top Deals on Echo and Fire TV Devices During Amazon Great Republic Day Sale
  10. iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro Series Said to Launch With A20 Pro Chip; Camera and Display Specifications Leaked
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.