The power of social media was on display Friday as video sharing platform TikTok was deluged with criticism from pro-life people worldwide and ultimately changed its decision to ban the pro-life group LiveAction from using its platform.
As LifeNews reported earlier Friday, TikTok, the wildly popular video sharing platform, had banned a pro-life organization after it shared a video featuring babies’ faces. LiveAction, which enjoys a tremendous following on the China-based social media platform of over 800 million users, has been banned without any reason given.
Live Action joined the platform last summer and quickly amassed tens of thousands of followers. The 15-second Live Action video TikTok deemed as violating community guidelines featured baby faces, nothing graphic. The pro-life organization wondered if China’s history of population control and forced abortions has anything to do with the decision.
Live Action sent a letter to TikTok asking for an explanation and for their account to be restored. TikTok did not respond to Live Action’s request.
But hours after the news broke, LiveAction tweeted that TikTok had restored its account, saying:
BREAKING: @tiktok_us has just unbanned our account after apologizing for what they call “human error.”
They admitted our account “is not in violation of any of our Community Guidelines.”
We demand assurance this will never happen again to us or anyone in the pro-life movement. pic.twitter.com/vvRwZiDIAS
— Live Action (@LiveAction) January 31, 2020
“TikTok must improve its training and oversight to ensure “human errors” like this aren’t made in the future. We contacted them yesterday asking for an answer and resolution and only after we escalated the problem, did they finally reinstate the account,” it added.
SIGN THE PETITION! Attention Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube: Stop Censoring Pro-Lifers
Here’s the video in question:
Before the decision to unban, Live Action Director of External Affairs Alison Howard Centofante told LifeNews.com she was very disappointed.
“Live Action joined TikTok in 2019 as part of our ongoing efforts to reach Gen Z and Millennials with the truth about abortion,” she explained. “TikTok has a larger active user base than Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit, and Snapchat. Its user base is nearly as big as Instagram. Our innovative, educational videos were hugely popular and grew our following to over 21k followers.”
She complained that, while her group has been banned, pro-abortion videos are allowed to be posted.
“Live Action’s videos shared baby photos and videos and highlighted the illogic of the pro-abortion movement. At the same time, TikTok allows pro-abortion accounts and videos to remain on the platform, videos like this that simulate brutal harm to preborn or born infants,” Centofante said.
Here’s the video that got LiveAction’s account banned:
TikTok has over 800 million active users and states that their mission is ‘to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge, and precious life moments, directly from the mobile phone.’ Live Action reached out to TikTok for clarity on why the account was removed and what community guidelines it violated and has not received a response.
ACTION: Contact TiokTok to complain.
