TikTok has taken action to combat fake news and hate speech surrounding the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The video app responds to a demand from European Commissioner Thierry Breton.
He also previously reprimanded X, YouTube and Facebook owner Meta for spreading fake news.
TikTok now says it has mobilized people and resources to counter fake news surrounding the war in Israel. This would include improving automatic signalling systems to remove fake news and hate speech. Some more so-called moderators speak Arabic and Hebrew to be able to assess messages.
Breton is concerned about the harmful consequences for children who see gruesome images on TikTok. He believes TikTok should distinguish better between reliable news sources and “terrorist propaganda”.
In a statement, TikTok said it was “shocked by last week’s terrorist attacks in Israel and deeply saddened by the humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Gaza.”
