TikTok, the most popular short video platform right now, has just updated its Community Guidelines. This is to provide its users more protection, especially from suicide, self-harm, and disordered eating.
According to TikTok, 93% of the videos posted within 24 hours after the update were removed for violating the new Community Guidelines. It added that people should be able to express themselves creatively and be entertained in a safe, secure, and welcoming environment. This is the reason behind the updated Community Guidelines.
The update will help filter the contents that will be shown to each user, making the “For You” feed safer and more appropriate. As always, the new policies have been designed to foster an experience that prioritizes “safety, inclusion, and authenticity”.
Some of the main updates that were announced and will be implemented over the next few weeks include:
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Strengthening the dangerous acts and challenges policy. TikTok continues to enact the stricter approach that was previously announced to help prevent the spreading of content related to suicide hoaxes on the platform. This previously sat within thier suicide and self-harm policies, but now will be highlighted in a separate category with more details; making it easier for the TikTok community to familiarize with it.
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Broadening their approach on eating disorders: In addition to removing content that promotes eating disorders, TikTok will also start to remove the promotion of disordered eating, after consultations from eating disorders experts, researchers, and physicians, as they suggest that people can struggle with unhealthy eating patterns and behavior without even being diagnosed with an eating disorder. TikTok aims to acknowledge more symptoms, such as overexercise or short-term fasting, that are frequently under-recognized symptoms of a potential problem. This is an incredibly nuanced area that’s difficult to correct, which is why they are working to train their teams to remain alert to a broader scope of content.
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Expanding their policy to protect the security, integrity, availability, and reliability on the platform. This stresses on prohibiting unauthorized access to TikTok, its content, accounts, systems, data, and prohibiting the use of TikTok to perpetrate criminal activity.