TikTok Responds to EU's Disinformation Concerns Amidst Israel-Hamas War

TikTok announced on Sunday that it has proactively deployed resources and personnel to combat hate speech and disinformation in the wake of the recent conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Thierry Breton, the European Union's industry chief, had given TikTok a 24-hour ultimatum to outline the measures taken to counter the spread of disinformation related to the Middle East conflict and launched an investigation into Elon Musk's company, X.

While TikTok did not reveal the specifics of its response to Breton, it listed the actions it had taken in a statement:

"TikTok stands against terrorism. We are shocked and appalled by the horrific acts of terror in Israel last week. We are also deeply saddened by the intensifying humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.”

TikTok said it established a command center and has improved its automated detection systems to swiftly remove graphic and violent content. Furthermore, TikTok has expanded its team of content moderators who are skilled in Arabic and Hebrew. Additionally, the platform has introduced measures to inhibit the dissemination of content that either targets or ridicules victims of violence or promotes additional violence. Restrictions have been placed on the qualifications required to use its live broadcasting feature, and TikTok is in active collaboration with law enforcement agencies and experts in this regard.

Senior officials with the European Union have called out social media disinformation and fake news in recent weeks.

Last month, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova identified X, formerly known as Twitter, as the largest source of fake news and called upon its owner, Elon Musk, to adhere to the EU's regulations aimed at combating disinformation. As the EU faces upcoming elections, tech giants including Google, TikTok, Microsoft, and Meta are urged to take more substantial measures to combat disinformation, with much of it originating from Russia.