DUBAI: Syrian children from refugee camps have taken to TikTok in droves to ask for donations, according to a BBC investigation. Some were even receiving up to $1,000 an hour, but when they withdrew the cash, it turned out TikTok had taken 70 percent of it.
TikTok said that it would take prompt action against “exploitative begging,” adding that this type of content was not allowed on its platform, and its commission from digital gifts was significantly less than 70 percent.
More than 30 accounts using children for begging were reported to TikTok. The company removed the videos but said that “no violation” had taken place.
“This type of content is not allowed on our platform. We have been working to strengthen our global policies around exploitative begging, to ensure no vulnerable person is used as a means to increase gifts while on LIVE. We have removed the accounts that have violated our Community Guidelines,” a TikTok spokesperson told Arab News.
A BBC crew, which visited a refugee camp and spent five months monitoring the activities, spoke to a middleman named Hamid Al-Alwa who provided phones and helped to manage accounts of families who begged.
Al-Alwa confirmed that the value of the gifts they received was “significantly reduced” from the amount actually pledged.
Now, TikTok has raised the age limit for livestreams from 16 to 18 years, starting Nov. 23.
In the coming weeks, it also plans to introduce adult-only live streams.
“For instance, perhaps a comedy routine is better suited for people over age 18. Or, a host may plan to talk about a difficult life experience and they would feel more comfortable knowing the conversation is limited to adults,” the company said in a blog post.
TikTok is also updating its keyword filtering tool, which enables creators to limit comments they find inappropriate.
“In the coming weeks, we’re rolling out an updated version of this feature that will send a reminder to people and suggest new keywords they may want to consider adding to their filter list,” TikTok said.
However, it is unclear how TikTok will enforce these age restrictions.
