TikTok bans 1,300 accounts in US for violating its hate speech policy; 3,80,800 accounts suspended

The short-form video app TikTok has removed more than 3,80,800 videos in the United States for breaching its hate speech policy in the year 2020. The app also said it has suspended more than 1,300 accounts for promoting hateful content.

TikTok in a blog post said that it has taken strict action against people posting gender-based harassment under its zero-tolerance policy. It has also blocked hate group that failed to recognize "violent tragedies" like the Holocaust or slavery.

TikTok is currently facing a tumultuous situation in the United States as the app has been accused of stealing users' private data. Following this, the Trump administration has issued an executive order stating the app should either sell its operations to a US firm in 90 days or face the ban in the country.

ByteDance who owns TikTok has been in talks with a number of companies including Microsoft, Oracle and Twitter to sell itself in the stated but nothing has been finalised yet.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, a review by the Anti-Defamation League revealed that the video platform was being used promote white supremacy. The app has already been banned by Indian government late in June citing privacy issues which was its largest foreign market.