UltraViolet & GLAAD Respond to TikTok’s Updated User Policy Including ‘Misogyny,’ Protections for Trans People
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2022
CONTACT: Anna Zuccaro | anna@unbendablemedia.com
UltraViolet & GLAAD Respond to TikTok’s Updated User Policy Including ‘Misogyny,’ Protections for Trans People
After months working behind the scenes with UltraViolet & GLAAD, TikTok unveils updated user policy to impede harassment, disinformation
In an announcement today, the video-focused social media platform TikTok released an updated user policy now expressly featuring limitations on ‘misogyny’ and anti-discrimination protections for transgender people, including a prohibition on misgendering and deadnaming. TikTok also announced they will start to remove the promotion of disordered eating content
TikTok implemented the changes after campaigns by UltraViolet, GLAAD, and other groups urged the platform to start taking more responsibility for algorithmic issues and protecting users.
“TikTok has become a little safer for women, girls, LGBQ and trans people today,” said Bridget Todd, Communications Director at UltraViolet, a national gender justice advocacy group. “We applaud TikTok for responding effectively to our recommendations and implementing them into an updated, more protective user policy. Even so, it’s clear social media platforms have a long way to go across the board.
“Social media is nearly ubiquitous in modern life. Which is exactly why we can’t allow social media companies to tacitly condone disinformation, racist, misogynistic, homophobic or transphobic attacks — today’s announcement suggests that TikTok executives agree,” added Todd.
“When anti-transgender actions like misgendering or deadnaming, or the promotion of so-called ‘conversion therapy,’ occur on platforms like TikTok, they create an unsafe environment for LGBTQ people online and too often lead to real world harm,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President and CEO. “TikTok’s move to expressly prohibit this harmful content in its Community Guidelines and to adopt recommendations made in GLAAD’s 2021 Social Media Safety Index raises the standard for LGBTQ safety online and sends a message that other platforms which claim to prioritize LGBTQ safety should follow suit with substantive actions like these.”
Late last year, the groups released a set of policy recommendations to provide solutions for how social media companies can improve their platforms and avoid discrimination toward women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ population. The letter was endorsed by 75 groups and included recommendations, such as:
Enforcing and implementing anti-harassment and discrimination policies
Expanding the definition of hate speech
Stopping the spread of disinformation
Providing support for victims of harassment on their platforms
Shift internal culture, conduct anti-racist workplace trainings, and create policies
VIEW THE LETTER & FULL LIST OF SIGNERS HERE: https://weareuv.us/feministnetletter
# # #