TikTok denies Chinese government influence on moderation

The social network TikTok, owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, denies that the Chinese government has any influence on moderation decisions. It claims that the Chinese government has nothing to say because the servers are located in the US and Singapore.

TikTok claims that the Chinese government has never asked for content to be removed, the company claims in a statement. The social network says it does not operate in China and has no intention of doing so. TikTok would also not remove content at the request of the Chinese government, according to its own statement.

The statement contradicts, among other things, an article by The Guardian, which previously claimed that TikTok instructs moderators to remove content related to Chinese sensitivities such as the Tibetan struggle for independence or the religious group Falun Gong. American politicians, among others, have called for a look at the moderation of TikTok, reports The Washington Post.

The issue comes at a time when some Western companies have been discredited for their stance towards China. For example, Blizzard banned a Hearthstone player after expressing his support for the Hong Kong protests and later partially withdrew it. Apple removed various apps from the App Store and would have asked series makers for its streaming service TV+ not to portray China negatively.