TikTok Apologizes For 'Significant Error' After User Points Out 'Racial Bias' In Their Algorithm

Tiktok user @ziggityler demonstrating how in the creator marketplace tiktok flags anything related to the word 'black', no matter how innocuous, as inappropriate but 'white supremacy' is fine.pic.twitter.com/QJ8Jpttx0A

— Andrew Galvin (@Andrew Galvin) 1625580968

An update: (because apparently being black on that app isn\u2019t allowed but being a neo nazi is? K. )pic.twitter.com/9ecIf0tvPe

— Ziggi Tyler (@Ziggi Tyler) 1625613069

Whew, this isn\u2019t just exposing TikTok. This is how all these platforms work, more or less.pic.twitter.com/qFFvkyc9PD

— Pariss Athena | Founder of Black Tech Pipeline (@Pariss Athena | Founder of Black Tech Pipeline) 1625540426

Humans write the algorithm. This is captured racism, prejudice, exclusion, and bias. They intentionally wrote code to keep Black creatives/Black ppl from receiving any type of exposure or monetization.

— Pariss Athena | Founder of Black Tech Pipeline (@Pariss Athena | Founder of Black Tech Pipeline) 1625573007

Maybe it's time Black folk stop supporting @tiktok_us

— Lisa Modlin (@Lisa Modlin) 1625586936

Key people at Tik Tok: \n\nShou Zi Chew, Erich Anderson, Blake Chandlee, & Vanessa Pappas.pic.twitter.com/hTCyxJiXjp

— \u25b3\u20d2\u20d8 (@\u25b3\u20d2\u20d8) 1625585751

It\u2019s deeper than a dance strike. TikTok is actively denying creator funding for any type of content related to black folk on their app. The algorithm is literally anti black. You\u2019re telling me \u2018white supremacy\u2019 isn\u2019t inappropriate content??pic.twitter.com/1stSv84rfd

— Erick (@Erick) 1625579456

TikTok\u2019s algorithm sucks so here y\u2019all gopic.twitter.com/ZQDpPhiNRU

— Moon\u2077 \u2661 (@Moon\u2077 \u2661) 1626062508

TikTok is a big part of my business & all these big companies are likely anti-black too. However, this is so egregious that I now feel compromised. They have literally programmed the algorithm to be anti-black. The black creators I know get vids pulled all the time & now THIS https://twitter.com/beingkaylasmith/status/1412458734001995778\u00a0\u2026

— StreamLord Cyph \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddfe\ud83d\udcc8 (@StreamLord Cyph \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddfe\ud83d\udcc8) 1625687248

Racism is in tech algorithms. And we\u2019re seeing a very clear example here of anti-Blackness in the block list used for tiktok. \n\nWhat are these tech orgs doing about this? Because posting a Black square & putting up words on a page sure as hell isn\u2019t cutting it. Be accountable!https://twitter.com/HeadlinerClip/status/1412375200352530432\u00a0\u2026

— Sheree Atcheson #DemandingMore OUT NOW\ud83d\udcd9 (@Sheree Atcheson #DemandingMore OUT NOW\ud83d\udcd9) 1625580474

Dear @tiktok_us \n\nI find this EXTREMELY disturbing and incredibly racist.\n\nYou may be an online platform, but you\u2019re still subject to racial discrimination in commerce laws. \n\nFix this or you could easily face a massive class action lawsuit for violation of Section 1981.https://twitter.com/parissathena/status/1412245023857557508\u00a0\u2026

— Pam Keith, Esq. (@Pam Keith, Esq.) 1625543519

A perfect example of what is systemic about racism.

— Madmama - I DISSENT (@Madmama - I DISSENT) 1625588360

I\u2019m having difficulty understanding how a commercial enterprise could embrace blatant racism so enthusiastically. It doesn\u2019t make sense because it is self defeating.

— Jay Carter (@Jay Carter) 1625588504

This is not acceptable!!

— Sahil Aujla (@Sahil Aujla) 1625577459

And yet morons like @tedcruz think teaching youth about CRT is a communist conspiracy.

— Andrew McFadden (@Andrew McFadden) 1625841268