TikTok apologizes after claims it blocked #BlackLivesMatter, George Floyd posts
TikTok apologized and said it would do more to promote diversity on its platform after claims the social media service blocked posts featuring hashtags related to the death of George Floyd.
TikTok said a technical glitch made it temporarily appear as if posts with the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd received no views.
The platform said it was dealing with a display issue, and videos featuring those tags amassed more than 2 billion views.
"We understand that many assumed this bug to be an intentional act to suppress the experiences and invalidate the emotions felt by the Black community," read a blog post from Vanessa Pappas, TikTok's US general manager, and director of creator community Kudzi Chikumbu. "And we know we have work to do to regain and repair that trust."
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On May 28, Twitter user @revengedja posted a tweet showing screenshots of the TikTok app with searches of #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd hashtags showing zero views of videos.
The technical issues came on the heels of a separate protest on May 19 called #ImBlackMovement calling out the censorship of black creators on the platform, reported CNN.
"We acknowledge and apologize to our Black creators and community who have felt unsafe, unsupported, or suppressed," reads the post from TikTok. "We don't ever want anyone to feel that way. We welcome the voices of the Black community wholeheartedly."
The platform says it's taking several steps to boost inclusion, including the start of a creator diversity council aimed at "recognizing and uplifting the voices driving culture, creativity, and important conversations."
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TikTok apologizes after claims it blocked George Floyd posts
