Tiktok launches safety campaign after removing IS propaganda videos
Tiktok has rolled out a new safety campaign days after it emerged Islamic State (IS) militants had used the platform to spread propaganda videos.
The video-sharing app has released a series of so-called awareness videos that it said will help to keep its users informed by highlighting safety features.
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The clips, which will be available from today on the company’s Tiktok channel, come alongside a wider digital marketing campaign.
It comes after the Chinese-owned app was forced to remove videos that reportedly showed IS fighters wielding guns, as well as corpses being paraded through streets.
Many of the videos were set to IS songs and some included Tiktok filters of stars and hearts that stream across the screen, the Wall Street Journal reported.
IS has previously used other social media sites such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter to spread propaganda. However, this appeared to be the first time it has used Tiktok, which is aimed primarily at younger users.
Tiktok said it had removed the offending videos and blocked 24 accounts.
The UK safety campaign will instruct users on how to report inappropriate content, harassment and hate speech and block undesired users.
“Safety is our number one priority,” said Elizabeth Kanter, director of global public policy at Tiktok UK.
“This new campaign, featuring some of our most loved creators from a variety of backgrounds and genres, demonstrates our commitment to originality, as we educate, empower and encourage our global community to stay safe and positive.”
The government is set to roll out new legislation as part of a crackdown on so-called online harms, with plans for a new regulator to ensure that social media sites police the content posted to their platforms.
Main image credit: Tiktok