TikTok rejects Malaysian accusation it blocks pro-Palestinian content

KUALA LUMPUR — Social media platform TikTok said on Friday (Oct 27) accusations by the Malaysian government that it was blocking pro-Palestinian content were "unfounded".

Muslim-majority Malaysia on Thursday warned of action against social media firms TikTok and Meta, saying their platforms had been accused of restricting content supporting Palestinians.

Meta responded on Thursday, saying there was "no truth" to the accusation and it was not deliberately suppressing voices on its Facebook platform.

A TikTok spokesperson, in an email to Reuters on Friday, also rejected Malaysia's accusation that it was blocking pro-Palestinian content.

"The claim is unfounded. Our community guidelines apply equally to all content on TikTok, and we're committed to consistently enforcing our policies to protect our community," the spokesperson said.

Both Meta and TikTok designate Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that governs Gaza, a "dangerous organisation" and ban content praising it.

Hamas members attacked communities in southern Israel on Oct 7. Israel says some 1,400 people including children were killed, and more than 200 people, some of them infants, were taken hostage in the assault.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said on Thursday that 7,028 Palestinians had been killed in Israel's retaliatory air strikes, including 2,913 children.

Reuters could not independently verify the tolls.

Since the violence erupted, both social media firms have taken steps to improve moderation, and remove or label graphic visuals.

Meta said in mid-October that it had taken down or labelled nearly 800,000 pieces of content in Hebrew and Arabic in the days after the Oct 7 attack.

Similarly, TikTok said this week it had removed more than 775,000 videos and 14,000 livestreams since the attack.

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