DUBAI: Moderators on social media platform TikTok are struggling to assess content related to Israel and Palestine after a tool that helped flag content in foreign languages was deleted.
TikTok’s internal tool allowed moderators to escalate a case and hit a “not my language” or “foreign language” button to flag content that they could not understand, reported The Guardian.
Moderators assumed that using the button would send the video to other colleagues who understood the language.
However, the button was removed six to nine months ago without any explanation, and moderators who raised the issue were asked to use Google Translate, when possible.
This means that moderators are relying on what they see only to understand if the video is in accordance with TikTok’s policy guidelines.
Moreover, since moderators often have targets on how quickly they moderate content, using a translation service is time-consuming, a deterrent for many.
TikTok had said that it “immediately launched a command center” and “mobilized significant resources and personnel” in response to the Israel-Hamas war.
The company claimed it added more moderators who speak Arabic and Hebrew to review content related to the conflict. It also said it works with organizations accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network that support over 50 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew, to combat misinformation.
Moderators were reportedly given an internal update on guidelines for the Israel-Hamas conflict in October in which they were told that certain Hamas and Hezbollah-related content was allowed, provided it did not incite violence or praise Hamas.
This includes “content that shows Hamas or Hezbollah political leaders as they are discussing the broader Israel-Palestine conflict and historical context for ongoing events, that does not also (1) praise, incite or threaten violence and (2) that does (not) praise Hamas”
The policy does not “apply to (Hamas military wing) Al-Qassam militant leaders.”
A TikTok moderator told The Guardian: “How am I meant to know who the bad guys and the good guys are if I don’t speak the language?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the button disappearing could lead to moderators incorrectly interpreting video based on their own unconscious biases or anti-Islam rhetoric, for example.”
A TikTok spokesperson told the British newspaper that the allegations about its policies are wrong or based on misunderstandings.
“We have over 6,000 moderators in Europe who apply our community guidelines equally to all content on TikTok and we do not allow under-13s on our platform,” the spokesperson said.
