TikTok users change profile pictures as part of #ImBlackMovement
Written by Site Hub on May 21, 2020
TikTok users changed their profile pictures to Black power fists on Tuesday, May 19, to stand in solidarity against racism and celebrate Black, Brown and other minority creators during a global demonstration called “Black Out.” TikTok has repeatedly censored minority creators by removing their content and allowing the app’s algorithm to suppress their posts on the For You feed.
The event was organized earlier this month by Utah Black Lives Matter founder Lex Scott. As part of the protest, TikTok users only liked or followed accounts by minority creators and their allies, posted videos in support of the protest, unfollowed users who don’t support the movement, and reported other users who posted racists videos and comments.
TikTok repeatedly denied the censorship until last December when the company finally admitted that it limited exposure on its For You page by creators who might be bullied on the platform. The content-suppression was supposedly related to creators “susceptible to bullying or harassment based on their physical or mental condition, including facial disfigurement, autism, Down syndrome, [or] disabled people or people with some facial problems.” Yet, minority creators were also somehow included in the censorship.
TikTok initially informed the media in December that it was a “misguided” policy. The problem though continued until the Tuesday protest. The For You feed finally filled up temporarily with content by minority creators. TikTok has not responded to media inquiries about continued censorship. Content associated with the protest can be found on the platform via several hashtags, including #ImBlackMovement and #BlackVoicesHeard.
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