Previously, TikTok signed a similar initiative in the European Union to combat online disinformation.
Image credit: Obi Onyeador/Unsplash
The famous short video sharing app TikTok (Douyin's overseas version) has announced that the company will follow the EU's code on tackling illegal hate speech.
Cormac Keenan, head of trust and security for TikTok Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "We have never allowed hate speech on TikTok. We believe that on such a critical issue, letting the Internet platform take responsibility is essential."
The non-legally binding code was made public four years ago. Many tech giants agreed to accelerate the takedowns of illegal content while supporting their users to report hate speech. At the same time, they committed to increasing joint working to share best practices to tackle the problem.
Since 2016, the number of signature platforms supporting the guidelines has increased to dozens, covering Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Microsoft, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube – and the China-originating TikTok.
A few months ago, TikTok signed a similar initiative in the European Union, which aimed to combat the spread of online disinformation through a series of non-legally binding commitments.