TikTok denies suppressing content about WPS

Social media platform TikTok denied reports of alleged suppression and restriction of content, particularly from journalists, involving ongoing developments and sensitive issues in the highly contested West Philippine Sea (WPS).

TikTok Philippines public policy manager Peachy Paderna told the House Tri-Committee during Friday's hearing on the proliferation of disinformation that they were never engaged in "silencing voices" that help raise public awareness, especially on crucial issues like that of the WPS, unless the content violates their community guidelines.

"We do not suppress any content that pertains to the West Philippine Sea. We welcome the diversity of political expression," Paderna told lawmakers. "If a video is muted, there is a possibility that the content may have committed a violation of our guidelines, specifically perhaps around intellectual property."

Paderna made the statement in response to the query of 1-Rider Rep. Ramon Gutierrez regarding the veracity of reports that journalists covering the WPS had their videos restricted and taken down by TikTok, raising concerns about the app's ties with China, which has been embroiled in a geopolitical dispute with the Philippines.

TikTok, whose global headquarters are in Singapore and Los Angeles, is owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance, suspected of having links with the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government.

Paderna disclosed that global investors, including General Atlantic and Susquehanna International Group, hold the majority of ByteDance’s stake at 60 percent, while the remaining 40 percent is split between the firm’s founder and employees worldwide.

Several countries, including Taiwan, the United States, and the European Union, among others, have banned TikTok amid privacy and security concerns, with some expressing fear that their sensitive data may have landed in the hands of the Chinese government.

Gutierrez asserted that TikTok should keep up and enforce strict guidelines to combat false and manipulative content that misleads the public, pointing out that the lack of robust measures allowed flagged posts to be reposted by users, causing them to go viral.

The lawmaker cited the recent bogus content claiming that China owns the resource-rich island of Palawan, with users employing Chinese characters to defend the posts.

Paderna, however, countered that TikTok has been taking proactive measures to purge harmful content, with every video uploaded on the platform undergoing a review by machine technology moderation.

She added that TikTok employs independent fact-checkers and that they also take into consideration users’ reports, which significantly assist them in spotting misinformation that violates community guidelines.

Last year, Paderna noted that TikTok removed over four million videos for violating community guidelines, with 98 percent of them being taken down in less than 24 hours after being flagged by users.