TikTok has joined Europe’s Code of Conduct on Countering Illegal Hate Speech Online. This move is meant to show TikTok’s commitment to countering hate speech.
The EU introduced the code on hate speech in 2016. By agreeing to the code, tech companies have a promise to take swift action on hate speech, and must also encourage their users to report hateful content.
Since the code’s introduction, several tech companies have signed on. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Microsoft, and YouTube are just some of the tech giants that have already committed to upholding the code.
In a post on the TikTok Newsroom, Cormac Keenan, TikTok’s head of trust and safety, announced TikTok’s commitment to the EU’s code. Keenan noted that TikTok has never allowed hate speech on the platform, and the app will continue to adhere to the same standards, stating:
We have a zero-tolerance stance on organised hate groups and those associated with them, like accounts that spread or are linked to white supremacy or nationalism, male supremacy, anti-Semitism, and other hate-based ideologies. We also remove race-based harassment and the denial of violent tragedies, such as the Holocaust and slavery.
Now that TikTok has joined the agreement, it has a pledge to tackle hate speech. According to Keenan, TikTok’s “ultimate goal” is to put an end to hate on the platform.
The EU’s voluntary code on hate speech isn’t legally binding, meaning that it’s more of a promise. Because of this, some might question if committing to the code is a publicity stunt, rather than a true promise.
TikTok hasn’t been viewed in the most positive light lately, mostly because of US President Donald Trump’s allegation that TikTok is a national security threat. Regardless of whether TikTok actually does what it’s accused of, it’s clear that TikTok is struggling to maintain a respectable reputation.