TikTok joins the EU code of conduct against hate speech  

On Tuesday, ByteDance’s TikTok announced that it would join the European Union’s voluntary code of conduct to combat illegal hate speech on social media websites.

“It’s good that TikTok joined the code – a company favored by young users who are particularly vulnerable to online abuse and illegal hate speech. Of course, I expect TikTok to adhere not only to the Code’s principles but also fully respect European law when operating on European soil,” European Commission’s Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said in an interview.

According to the European Commission, the code of conduct was established in May 2016, where technology companies work with civil society organizations and public authorities to remove online hate speech.

“Our ultimate goal is to eliminate hate on TikTok. We recognize that this may seem an insurmountable challenge as the world is increasingly polarised, but we believe that this shouldn’t stop us from trying,” TikTok’s Head of Trust and Safety for EMEA Cormac Keenan stated.