Since the conflict erupted in the Gaza Strip, TikTok has faced a wave of criticism for deleting numerous videos related to the escalation in the region, citing violations of the app’s posting rules. The app’s administrators now seem to face a more significant challenge in evaluating shared content, especially after removing an internal tool designed for reporting foreign-language videos.
The removal of this tool means that TikTok’s administrators in Europe are now unable to effectively manage content that may violate posting rules in foreign languages. For instance, videos posted in Arabic and Hebrew, which may frequently appear to users, cannot be specifically identified. This development was reported by The Guardian newspaper.
Previously, English-speaking moderators had access to a button labeled “Not in My Language,” indicating that a video was not in their language. This button would send the content to other moderators familiar with the language upon clicking. During the initial stages, moderators faced challenges in enforcing any policies on the content due to their lack of understanding of the language.
Approximately six to nine months ago, the button was removed without any explanation, according to an insider at TikTok. This meant that moderators often had to rely solely on visual observations because they couldn’t comprehend the spoken words, making it challenging to enforce content policies.
In response to concerns raised by moderators, the advice provided was to use Google Translate to interpret words, a process that consumed a significant amount of time.
These allegations about the disappearance of the language button coincide with TikTok’s preparations to launch several initiatives to address complaints about its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the platform. Over the past months, English-speaking moderators have observed an increase in videos related to Israel and Gaza in both Arabic and Hebrew languages.
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