It is an open secret that TikTok has been accused of ignoring BIPOC creators. White creators who copy dances of BIPOC creators, or who duet the videos will rake in hundreds of thousands of views while the original creators remain largely ignored.
It is prevalent across all niches on TikTok from "Nerd TikTok" to "Dance TikTok"
The non-POC creators are eligible for the Creator Fund and receive thousands to millions of dollars in brand deals while the original creators receive few accolades.
According to a 2021 article by insider.com, "There have also been several allegations that TikTok's algorithm is racist, with creators alleging that their content is valued less than their white peers".
I have spoken to many creators of color who have complained that they have duet a video from a creator, and their video gets removed or flagged for community guidelines violations while the original creator's video remains up and is eligible for monetization.
One user who goes by the screen name Eddie Brocc @eddiebrocchappy has stated that he has had to create multiple accounts because his content keeps getting flagged, simply from creating a duet. "There is a video that went viral that shows a kid in an inner tube and the guy is spinning it around and he shoots him down the tube but he flies out. It has thousands of views, close to millions of views I believe. But when I posted it, I got a community guidelines violation for minor safety and dangerous acts, yet that video from multiple white content creators is still up".
"Not being able to have people we can talk to when we realize we are being mass reported", Eddie concludes, is an obstacle he and others face. Several allegations have been made that creators have been reporting POC news and edutainment content. "I've sent emails and nothing has been done".
There is no way to contact TikTok directly by phone for resolutions. TikTok has a reporting system, where users can report content and accounts. If a community guidelines violation has been issued, the user can appeal the violation. Users can email TikTok at info@tiktok.com and feedback@tiktok.com
@blackmanblackfather:
"I lost my original page at 330,000 followers, lost my back up at 70,000. That's almost half a million followers for ONE black man".
Mass Reporting
Several creators such as @blackmanblackfather @eddiebrocchappy have complained about what is known as mass reporting. A petition is currently underway to stop mass reporting on TikTok. The subject of mass reporting as outlined in an article by the LA Times,
"Mass reporting simply scales up that process. Rather than one person reporting a post to TikTok, multiple people all report it in concert or — as programs such as H4xton’s purport to do — a single person uses automated scripts to send multiple reports."
https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2021-12-03/inside-tiktoks-mass-reporting-problem
Shadowbanning
Having an account banned due to mass reporting, and shadowbanning is slightly different. According to Wikipedia" Shadow banning, also called stealth banning, hell banning, ghost banning or comment ghosting, is the practice of blocking or partially blocking a user or their content from some areas of an online community in such a way that it will not be readily apparent to the user that they have been banned. For instance, shadow-banned comments posted to a blog or media website will not be visible to other users accessing the site.
By partly concealing, or making a user's contributions invisible or less prominent to other members of the service, the hope may be that in the absence of reactions to their comments, the problematic or otherwise out-of-favor user will become bored or frustrated and leave the site and that spammers and trolls will be discouraged to continue their unwanted behavior or create new accounts"
Eddie Brocc:
"It means you're being targeted. And according to TikTok's community guidelines violations that create a safe environment for content creators there is in fact no protection"
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