TikTok apologises after being accused of censoring posts with ‘Black Lives Matter’ hashtag

TikTok apologised on Monday after users complained that posts with the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd were shown to have zero views. Tiktok said that it happened due to a “technical glitch”

TikTok users complained that the issue was an intentional act of censorship by the company, which is owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance.

However, TikTok claimed the problem was only “a display issue,” adding that videos with the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag have currently generated more than 2 billion views.

Vanessa Pappas, TikTok US General Manager, and Kudzi Chikumbu, Director of Creator Community, said: “To our Black community: We want you to know that we hear you and we care about your experiences on TikTok. “We acknowledge and apologize to our Black creators and community who have felt unsafe, unsupported, or suppressed. We don’t ever want anyone to feel that way. We welcome the voices of the Black community wholeheartedly”

TikTok said it plans to set up a ‘creator diversity council’ that will be tasked with recognizing and uplifting the voices driving culture, creativity, and important conversations on the platform.

The company has pledged to donate $3 million to charities helping the black community during the coronavirus pandemic and commit another $1 million toward fighting racial injustice and inequality in the U.S.