Charlie Kirk raged against TikTok and called for the social media app to be banned after he said a fan account of his was banned from the platform.
The conservative radio talk-show host and founder of Turning Point USA said an account that is a fan of his show, The Charlie Kirk Show, had been banned for “the 20th time” and called the social media platform, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, “a cancer on America.”
He said: “TikTok has suspended a fan account of The Charlie Kirk Show… again
This is the 20th time the account has been suspended for ‘hate speech’
It’s way past time to ban TikTok. It is a cancer on America.
Will Speaker Johnson act?”
Newsweek contacted representatives for TikTok by email to comment on this story.
Kirk did not name the account that he said had been banned. Newsweek has approached Kirk via social media to comment on this story.
TikTok’s Hate Speech Policies
On its website, the social media platform has a policy on hate speech which states it does “not allow any hateful behavior, hate speech, or promotion of hateful ideologies.”
It says: “TikTok is enriched by the various backgrounds of our community members. Our differences should be respected, rather than a cause for division. We do not allow any hateful behavior, hate speech, or promotion of hateful ideologies. This includes content that attacks a person or group because of protected attributes, including caste, ethnicity, national origin, race, religion, tribe, immigration status, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, serious disease.”
“We want our creators to share what inspires them, but there is no place on our platform for those dedicated to spreading beliefs or propaganda that encourage violence or hate. We do not allow the presence of violent and hateful organizations or individuals on our platform. These actors include violent extremists, violent criminal organizations, violent political organizations, hateful organizations, and individual perpetrators of mass violence. If we become aware that any such actor may be on our platform, we will conduct a thorough review – including off-platform behavior – which may result in an account ban.
“Often the ideas of these actors are amplified by others. We do not allow anyone to promote or materially support violent or hateful actors. Content that may appear neutral, such as referencing a quote from a hateful organization, must make clear that there is no intent to promote it. We make limited allowances for people to discuss violent political organizations, but only if: (1) their causes are recognized as legitimate under international legal frameworks, (2) they do not primarily target civilians, and (3) the content does not mention violence.”
Meanwhile, while TikTok is not banned in the whole of the U.S., several politicians have raised concerns about its impact on national security.
The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into TikTok on March 17, 2023, including allegations that the company spied on American journalists.
In March, the U.S. demanded that ByteDance sell TikTok or face a total ban in the country, repeating threats made by Donald Trump in 2020 when he was president.
In April 2023, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill banning TikTok on all personal devices operating within state lines, and barring app stores from offering TikTok for download. He said he signed the law, which takes effect in January 2024, “to protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party.”
It is also banned on government devices in the U.S., as well as in other countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
It is completely banned in India, Nepal, Somalia and Afghanistan.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.