TikTok will make total accounts briefly ineligible for its For You feed if customers have a sample of posting about excessive health, conspiracy theories, sexually suggestive materials, and a variety of other topics that the platform received’t promote on the feed. The change was included in an update to TikTok’s Neighborhood Tips issued on Wednesday. Whereas movies about such matters are nonetheless technically allowed on TikTok, the content material itself and the accounts of those that publish them may very well be briefly restricted.
“We’re introducing a coverage to make a whole account briefly ineligible for advice within the For You feed if a creator repeatedly posts content material that goes in opposition to our For You feed requirements. Their account and content material can be tougher to search out in search. We are going to notify creators when their account has been restricted on this approach, and they’re going to be capable of enchantment,” wrote Adam Presser, TikTok’s head of operations and Belief and Security.
The change, which fits into impact on Could seventeenth, seems to be the primary to instantly goal the accounts of creators who publish movies about matters that TikTok considers unfit for a broader viewers, despite the fact that the content material itself doesn’t violate the Neighborhood Tips. This might additional discourage sure creators from posting about such matters completely to keep away from the danger of being briefly hidden from the For You feed. For instance, a health influencer could keep away from speaking about prolonged intermittent fasting or posting “Earlier than and After” movies, each of that are ineligible for the For You feed.
In an replace to its For You feed eligibility standards issued immediately, TikTok additionally said it will additionally interrupt any circumstances of “repetitive content material patterns,” even when such movies are nonetheless eligible for the feed.
“Sure sorts of content material could also be tremendous if seen sometimes, however problematic if seen in clusters. This contains content material resembling weight-reduction plan, excessive health, sexual suggestiveness, disappointment (resembling statements of hopelessness, or sharing unhappy quotes), and overgeneralized psychological well being info (resembling a quiz that claims to diagnose somebody). The sort of content material could also be eligible for the FYF, however we are going to interrupt repetitive content material patterns to make sure it isn’t seen too typically,” the replace reads.
TikTok, together with Instagram, has lengthy been criticized for selling dangerous or objectionable content material to its younger consumer base. The platform started cracking down on “problematic” content material in its For You Feed again in 2021 when it introduced it will break up clusters of movies on excessive health, breakups, disappointment, and different matters to maintain customers from happening dangerous content material holes. However such content material nonetheless thrives on the platform. An Amnesty Worldwide investigation from November concluded that TikTok’s For You feed amplified depressive content that risked worsening the psychological well being of kids and younger folks.
Given {that a} potential ban from Congress is looming, TikTok is taking extra drastic motion now to enhance its public picture. However there’s additionally a chance that this effort might backfire. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and others have taken similar steps to crack down on “problematic” sexual or nude content through the years that had the impact of discriminating in opposition to girls and LGBTQ customers. It’s left to be seen whether or not TikTok can study from their errors.