KARACHI: Video platform TikTok said this week it had removed 6,019,754 videos for violating community guidelines in Pakistan in the third quarter (Q3) of 2021.
The company on Monday released its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, which details the volume and nature of violative content and accounts removed from the platform in Q3 of 2021. The report provides insight into content removed for violating the Community Guidelines, reinforcing the platform’s public-accountability, to the community, policymakers, and NGOs.
TikTok has been banned more than five times in Pakistan. The most recent ban by the country’s telecom regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), was imposed in July 2021, and lifted in November 2021 “after assurances by the platform to control ‘immoral and unlawful’ content.”
“To protect the safety of the community and the integrity of the platform, 91,445,802 videos were removed globally, between 1st July and 30th September 2021, comprising around 1 percent of all videos uploaded,” the platform said in a statement. “Nearly 95 percent of those videos were removed before a user reported it, while 88 percent before the video received any views and 93 percent were removed within 24 hours of being posted.”
With 6,019,754 videos removed, Pakistan is now ranked fourth in the world for the largest volume of videos taken down, TikTok said.
“In addition, 73.9 percent of content promoting harassment and bullying were proactively removed, while 72.4 percent of hateful-behavior videos were also removed before anyone reported them,” the statement added.
A senior official at TikTok told Arab News last year after being repeatedly banned in Pakistan over content that local authorities say is “immoral,” TikTok had increased the number of Pakistani content moderators by over 300 percent and tripled its investment in the South Asian country.
“Understanding the gravity of the local laws, ethics and values, TikTok has invested heavily in its team of local-language content moderators, leading to a 300 percent-plus growth in local-language moderation headcount,” Jiagen Eep, Trust and Safety, Singapore Hub Lead for TikTok, told Arab News via email.
“This large content moderation team works round the clock, monitoring content posted by our users in Pakistan,” he said. “Of course, our moderators work within the purview of prevailing labor laws and additional offline time is provided for wellbeing and training.”
The official said keeping in mind the social, religious and cultural context of Pakistan, TikTok had “more than tripled our investment in the last twelve months in our dedicated local-language moderation team for Pakistan” that ensured that content on the platform was in line with community guidelines and prompt action was taken in case of violations.
“The content moderation process has been made even more efficient with the hiring of local-language moderators who understand multiple Pakistani languages, culture and social norms and are able to make quick assessments in light of our community guidelines,” he said.
TikTok removes over six million videos from Pakistan for violating community guidelines
https://arab.news/jc699
TikTok removes over six million videos from Pakistan for violating community guidelines
- Pakistan is now ranked fourth in the world for the largest volume of videos taken down
- 73.9 percent of content promoting harassment and bullying was proactively removed
Pakistan to play India in T20 World Cup, government says
- Islamabad announced boycotting the Feb. 15 match in Colombo to protest the ICC’s exclusion of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup
- Pakistan’s government says the decision to play India is taken to protect ‘spirit of cricket and to support the continuity of global sport’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has cleared the country’s cricket team to play India in the T20 World Cup on Feb. 15, the Pakistani government announced late Monday, ending a week-long standoff.
Islamabad announced boycotting the Feb. 15 match in Colombo to protest the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) exclusion of Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup, following Dhaka’s decision to not play matches in India owing to security fears.
On Sunday, ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja arrived in Lahore for talks with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam as the sport’s governing body strived to save the high-stakes T20 World Cup encounter.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met PM Sharif late Monday and briefed him regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB, Bangladesh board and ICC representatives, the Pakistani government said on X.
“The Government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations. These correspondences sought Pakistan’s leadership in securing a viable solution to recent challenges,” the Pakistani government said.
“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
The BCB earlier thanked the PCB, ICC and all others for their positive roles in trying to “overcome recent challenges,” particularly thanking PCB Chairman Naqvi and Pakistani cricket fans for demonstrating “exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity.”
“We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish,” BCB President Islam said in a statement.
“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem.”
The dispute stemmed from the ICC’s decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland last month after Bangladesh refused to play tournament matches in India. Dhaka’s decision followed the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was bought for $1 million by the IPL’s Kolkata Knight Riders, but on Jan. 3 the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered Kolkata to release Mustafizur without a public explanation but amid regional tensions.
Pakistani cricket authorities subsequently announced boycotting the match against India at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Feb. 15. An India-Pakistan fixture is the sport’s most lucrative asset, generating a massive share of global broadcasting and sponsorship revenue.
“This decision [to play India in T20 World Cup] has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations,” the Pakistani government said.
“We remain confident that our team will carry the spirit of sportsmanship and national pride onto the field as they compete for global glory.”
