TikTok told moderators to suppress posts by “ugly” people and the poor (theintercept.com)

Article summary

TikTok moderators were instructed to suppress posts from users deemed too ugly, poor, or disabled, according to internal documents. The goal was to attract new users and retain them by only showing content from attractive and affluent users. TikTok also censored political speech in livestreams, punishing users who harmed "national honor" or discussed sensitive topics. The company claims these policies are no longer in place, but the documents suggest they were used until at least 2019.

Main themes

• social media moderation
• algorithmic bias
• censorship
• beauty standards
• free speech
• platform responsibility

What commenters say

• TikTok's moderation policies are a natural result of the platform's goal to make money and attract new users.
• The use of human moderators to suppress content based on physical appearance is morally culpable and distinct from algorithmic filtering.
• People naturally prefer to look at beautiful and attractive content, so TikTok's practices are not surprising or abnormal.
• The difference between Instagram's algorithmic recommendations and TikTok's human moderation is significant, as the former allows for diverse content to be shown while the latter explicitly excludes certain types of users.
• TikTok's censorship of political speech is a more significant concern than its moderation of physical appearance.
• The platform's attempts to control content and shape user experience are a fundamental problem of social media, which must balance free speech with editorial control.