TikTok faces criticism for flagging ‘Free Palestine’ as hate speech

American TikTok users share screenshots on X of comments being removed

TikTok users in the US have said comments containing the phrase “Free Palestine” are being flagged as hate speech. The controversy comes days after the platform was temporarily banned and then reinstated by an executive order from President Donald Trump.

Before the brief ban took effect on Sunday, TikTok was considered one of the few significant platforms that allowed pro-Palestinian content without bias. Screenshots and videos shared on X show comments being removed for allegedly breaching TikTok's hate speech rules.

One viral video, viewed more than eight million times, captures a notification from TikTok stating that the phrase “Free Palestine” was flagged for “hate speech and hateful behaviours”.

The backlash has been swift, with users on X accusing the platform of silencing Palestinian advocacy. This frustration has sparked broader questions about whether TikTok's moderation policies are being influenced by political pressures tied to its recent legal and political battles.

A representative for TikTok denied any bias against pro-Palestinian content in its content moderation. “Our community guidelines apply equally to all content on TikTok," the representative told The National. "TikTok does not moderate or remove content based on political sensitivities. We remove content if it violates community guidelines, but not on the basis of it being pro-Palestinian.”

A ban with political and security implications

TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, was initially given until January 19 to sell the platform to an American buyer or face a complete ban in the US. The legislation passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by Joe Biden, president at the time, because of national security concerns.

Politicians argued that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government, posing a risk to US privacy and security. On Sunday, TikTok went offline for US users.

Within hours, Mr Trump announced plans to issue an executive order delaying the ban's enforcement to allow time for negotiations, effectively bringing TikTok back online. Mr Trump framed his intervention as a victory for free speech and the millions of Americans who use the platform.

“Americans deserve to see our exciting inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform. He also hinted at a potential solution involving a joint venture between ByteDance and an American owner to address national security concerns.

Despite Mr Trump's efforts, the long-term future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain. Critics within Mr Trump's Republican party, including senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts, oppose any delay in the ban's enforcement, arguing that TikTok poses an immediate threat.

“Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of 'extension' of its effective date,” they said in a joint statement. "For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law's qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China."

Tying ban to content moderation

Since Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel, US politicians have increasingly connected the potential TikTok ban to the platform's pro-Palestinian content. Last May, Mitt Romney, a US senator at the time, explicitly linked support for the ban to TikTok's content during a conversation with then secretary of state Antony Blinken at a McCain Institute forum in Sedona, Arizona.

“You have a social media ecosystem environment in which context, history, facts get lost and the emotion – the impact of images – dominates,” Mr Blinken said, responding to Mr Romney's query about the US and Israel's struggles to communicate justifications for the Gaza war.

Mr Romney suggested that TikTok's content might have influenced congressional support for the ban. “If you look at the postings on TikTok and the number of mentions of Palestinians, relative to other social media sites – it's overwhelmingly so among TikTok broadcasts," he added.

While the ban has been framed as a national security measure, Mr Romney's comments have also sparked a backlash from free-speech advocates, who argue that censoring content based on political viewpoints sets a dangerous precedent.

Censorship claims erode trust

The recent allegations of censorship have further fuelled distrust of TikTok among some users. Many have accused the platform of abandoning its role as a space for free expression, particularly for pro-Palestinian content.

As a result, users are increasingly migrating to alternative platforms including RedNote, a Shanghai-based social media app that has experienced a surge in American users. “We told you THIS is why they banned it,” one user wrote on X.

As debates about content moderation and political influence continue, creators and users wonder what is next for one of the world's most popular social media platforms.