TikTok has been accused of profiting from illegal child sexual exploitation videos posted on its platform. The allegations, made by former and current employees, say the company failed to properly respond to internal reports, according to NPR. Employees raised alarm about minors appearing in sexual content on the app, which viewers could pay to access, allowing the company to profit from what may be a potential financial crime.
The employees also flagged that users under 18 were using loopholes to bypass age-restricted content and to block parents and guardians from reviewing their activity. TikTok reportedly refrained from conducting surveys to assess the ages of its users because it was concerned the results would have to be turned over to the Federal Trade Commission, the documents show. Employees say senior leaders were aware of the issues, but their responses were inadequate.
Social media companies are required by law to report suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM), as well as suspicions that money is being obtained illegally through their platforms. The report also says concerns were expressed internally about young users being shown content related to suicide and self-harm, and that the platform was not taking proper steps to address this. TikTok is one of the most popular apps on the App Store, with a high proportion of teenage users.
TikTok responded that the claims are "clearly cherry-picked at the behest of trial lawyers and used to inaccurately rewrite our history and mislead the public about our commitment to youth safety and how our platform works."
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing