TikTok taken ‘immediate’ action to prevent misinformation on Israel-Hamas war
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TikTok has claimed to have taken “immediate” action to counter misinformation that is spreading on its platform following Hamas’s attack on Israel.
On Thursday, European Union industry chief Thierry Breton called on the short-form video app to “urgently step up” efforts, and “spell out” within 24 hours how it was complying with European law following the disinformation related to the Middle East conflict.
He also opened a probe into YouTube, Meta, and Elon Musk’s X.
“TikTok stands against terrorism. We are shocked and appalled by the horrific acts of terror in Israel last week. We are also deeply saddened by the intensifying humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm Bytedance, said it had “immediately mobilised significant resources and personnel to help maintain the safety of our community and integrity of our platform”.
Its actions included launching a command centre, enhancing its automated detection systems to remove graphic and violent content, and adding more moderators who speak Arabic and Hebrew.
The company also claimed to be removing content that attacked or mocked victims of violence or encouraged violence, adding restrictions on eligibility for its live broadcast feature.
TikTok said it is cooperating with law enforcement agencies and engaging with experts during this process.
Earlier this year, the EU introduced new laws which regulate the kind of content that is legally allowed online.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) requires online platforms with over 45m EU users to remove “illegal content” and, if requested, show they have taken measures to do so.
If TikTok, and other major social media platforms, don’t comply with the EU’s regulations, the company can be issued large fines – or as a last resort find itself temporarily banned in the EU.