TikTok Taking Down ‘Letter to America’ Posts, Says They Violate Terrorism Rules
Instagram and TikTok Crack Down on Posts Promoting Osama bin Laden’s Justification of 9/11 Attacks
Instagram and TikTok took swift action against posts that went viral on Wednesday evening, promoting Osama bin Laden’s letter justifying the 9/11 attacks.
Instagram hid the hashtag #LetterToAmerica, while TikTok immediately began removing the posts on Thursday, citing a violation of their rules against supporting terrorism.
Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism. We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform. The number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our… https://t.co/n9Zo7l94r2
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) November 16, 2023
According to Semafor, these posts gained significant traction, with many thousands of views, as they urged people to read bin Laden’s “Letter to America” and promoted his distorted perception of the United States.
The Guardian removed the letter from its website on Wednesday, having previously published it in 2002.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida posted on X, highlighting the concerning trend on social media platforms like TikTok, where individuals claimed that reading bin Laden’s letter made them view terrorism as a legitimate method of resistance against perceived oppression, and that the 9/11 attacks were justified.
TikTok Faces Criticism and Controversy
TikTok has recently faced criticism due to the proliferation of anti-Israel content during the Israel-Hamas War. Additionally, concerns have been raised about its connections to the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok, Instagram, and Meta have not yet responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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The post TikTok Taking Down ‘Letter to America’ Posts, Says They Violate Terrorism Rules appeared first on The Western Journal.
How did Instagram and TikTok respond to the circulation of posts promoting Osama bin Laden’s letter justifying the 9/11 attacks?
Published it as part of a historical archive. This decision came after the posts on Instagram and TikTok began circulating and gaining attention. The letter, written by Osama bin Laden in 2002, was an attempt to justify the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
Both Instagram and TikTok took immediate action to address the situation. Instagram hid the hashtag #LetterToAmerica to prevent further spread of the posts, while TikTok started removing the content altogether, stating that it violated their rules against supporting terrorism.
TikTok released a statement on Thursday, affirming their commitment to proactively and aggressively removing content that promotes terrorism. They also expressed their efforts to investigate how the content related to bin Laden’s letter made it onto their platform. Although TikTok did not disclose the exact number of videos promoting the letter, they emphasized that it was a small amount compared to the overall content on their platform.
According to Semafor, these posts gained significant traction and received thousands of views. They encouraged people to read bin Laden’s letter and promoted his distorted perception of the United States. It is alarming to see such content gaining popularity, as it glorifies acts of violence and terrorism.
The Guardian, a renowned news organization, had previously published the letter as part of a historical archive but made the decision to remove it from their website on Wednesday. The circulation of these posts on Instagram and TikTok likely influenced their choice. While it is important to preserve historical documents, it is also crucial to consider the potential harm or misinformation that can stem from their dissemination.
The actions taken by Instagram and TikTok underline the responsibility of social media platforms in curating and moderating content. With millions of active users, these platforms have a significant impact on society, and it is essential for them to uphold certain standards and ensure the safety and well-being of their users.
In recent years, social media platforms have faced scrutiny for their handling of sensitive and harmful content. The spread of extremist ideologies, misinformation, and hate speech has raised concerns and highlighted the need for stricter regulations and enforcement.
The case of Instagram and TikTok cracking down on posts promoting bin Laden’s justification of the 9/11 attacks serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by these platforms in maintaining a safe and responsible online environment. It also emphasizes the importance of ongoing efforts to combat the influence of terrorism and extremist ideologies on social media.
Moving forward, it is crucial for social media platforms to continue refining their policies and algorithms to detect and remove harmful content more effectively. Furthermore, collaboration between platforms, government bodies, and civil society organizations can enhance the fight against the spread of extremist ideologies online.
As users of these platforms, we also play a role in shaping the online discourse. By reporting and flagging content that promotes violence, terrorism, or hate speech, we contribute to creating a safer and more inclusive digital space.
Instagram and TikTok’s swift action against posts promoting bin Laden’s justification of the 9/11 attacks sends a strong message that such content will not be tolerated. It is a step towards ensuring that social media platforms are not used to spread hate or glorify acts of violence.
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