TikTok Puts News Outlet In Time Out For Posting Charlie Kirk News
The TikTok account of an independent media outlet was banned for several days from the Chinese-owned video app over seemingly innocuous videos that were gaining traction. Off The Press brands itself as a “news brand for…
The TikTok account of an independent media outlet was banned for several days from the Chinese-owned video app over seemingly innocuous videos that were gaining traction.
Off The Press brands itself as a “news brand for Americans who feel the mainstream media ignores the stories they care about most.” The outlet’s TikTok account, with nearly 40,000 followers, was taken down after posting two videos showing lawmakers’ reactions to news on Sep. 10 that Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk had been shot while speaking at a Utah university, according to screenshots provided by the outlet to the Daily Caller News Foundation
One roughly 15-second video showed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia asking for prayer for Kirk during a House hearing and gained about 300,000 views before it was flagged. The other showed Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut speaking on the Senate floor, offering his condolences to Kirk and his family.
“It was just a video of a lawmaker talking, and TikTok arbitrarily decided that an elected lawmaker speaking about a pertinent news topic is just not allowed,” Baron told the DCNF. “This is just crazy that these extremely tame videos of lawmakers are getting flagged like this.”
The videos were initially flagged on Sept. 12 as “ineligible for recommendation” for violating community guidelines, and the account was ultimately banned altogether on Sept. 13. Baron said TikTok never specified which guidelines were allegedly violated.