TikTok Faced Hundreds of Internal Flags on Child Sexual Content It Monetized, Employees Allege
Former and current staff say the company declined to age-test users and did not adequately address reports of minors in sexual material, while TikTok disputes the account.
By Camila Rodriguez ·
For families in the Pacific Northwest and across the country, the allegations center on how the short-video app handles content involving minors. According to former and current employees, material featuring minors in sexual situations was posted to the platform and could be accessed through payments, generating revenue for the company. The employees also say that users under 18 found ways to reach age-restricted material, and that parents and guardians were blocked from reviewing what their children were doing on the app.
The employees who raised these concerns say they reported them internally, and that senior leaders were aware of the issues but that their responses were inadequate. The company has not publicly addressed the specific employee claims. TikTok's public response, issued in reply to reporting on the allegations, stated that the claims are “clearly cherry-picked at the behest of trial lawyers and used to inaccurately rewrite our history and mislead the public about our commitment to youth safety and how our platform works.”
Social media companies are required by law to report suspected child sexual abuse material, as well as suspicions about money being obtained illegally through their platforms. The allegations described in the reporting would touch on both obligations. The company declined to comment further on the specific employee claims. The allegations were made by former and current employees, and reported by NPR.
Another concern raised internally involved young users being shown content related to suicide and self-harm, with employees saying the platform was not taking proper steps to address it. TikTok declined to comment on the specific claims. The company said it is committed to youth safety and that it works to protect users on the platform.
TikTok is one of the most popular apps on the App Store, with a high proportion of teenage users. The company has faced scrutiny over how it handles content involving minors. The allegations were made by former and current employees, and the company said the claims are “clearly cherry-picked at the behest of trial lawyers and used to inaccurately rewrite our history and mislead the public about our commitment to youth safety and how our platform works.”
Employees say that senior leaders were aware of the issues, but that their responses were inadequate. The company declined to comment further. The allegations were made by former and current employees, and reported by NPR. The company said the claims are “clearly cherry-picked at the behest of trial lawyers and used to inaccurately rewrite our history and mislead the public about our commitment to youth safety and how our platform works.”
The report also said concerns were raised about young users being shown content related to suicide and self-harm, and that the platform was not taking proper steps to address this. TikTok declined to comment on the specific claims. The company said it is committed to youth safety and that it works to protect users on the platform. The allegations were made by former and current employees, and reported by NPR.
TikTok is one of the most popular apps on the App Store, with a high proportion of teenage users. The company said the claims are “clearly cherry-picked at the behest of trial lawyers and used to inaccurately rewrite our history and mislead the public about our commitment to youth safety and how we operate.” The allegations were made by former and current employees, and reported by NPR. The company declined to comment further.
Employees say they raised concerns internally about minors appearing in sexual content, and that the company failed to properly respond. The allegations were made by former and current employees, and reported by NPR. The company said the claims are “clearly cherry-picked at the behest of trial lawyers and used to inaccurately rewrite our history and mislead the public about our commitment to youth safety and how we operate.” The company declined to comment further. The allegations were made by former and current employees, and reported by NPR. The company said it is committed to youth safety and that it works to protect users on the platform.
Source: 9to5Mac
