TikTok has apologised to a US teenager who was blocked from the platform after posting a viral video criticising China's treatment of Uighur Muslims. The Chinese-owned social network said the ban was due to the user's prior conduct and unrelated to Chinese politics, blaming a 'human moderation error' for the video's temporary removal.
The 17-year-old, Feroza Aziz, had her account suspended earlier this month after posting a video containing an image of Osama Bin Laden, which TikTok said violated its policies. When banned, the app also locks the device, preventing new accounts. Aziz created a second account on the same device to post a three-part video about the Uighurs in the style of a make-up tutorial, which was later removed for nearly an hour.
TikTok's head of safety for the US, Eric Han, stated that the initial ban was due to the Bin Laden image, despite recognising it may have been intended as satire. He explained that a 'platform-wide enforcement' locked out Aziz's device along with 2,406 others. The viral video, viewed over nine million times, was removed due to a moderation error, and TikTok reinstated it, apologising for the mistake.
Aziz rejected the explanation, telling the BBC she would continue discussing the issue on other platforms. Human Rights Watch researcher Yaqiu Wa called for increased scrutiny, citing a lack of transparency in TikTok's content moderation. The incident highlights ongoing concerns over TikTok's Chinese ownership, as the app faces regulatory reviews in the US over data privacy.
