TikTok users in the US have said comments containing the phrase “Free Palestine” are being flagged as hate speech. The controversy comes days after the platform was temporarily banned and then reinstated by an executive order from President Donald Trump.
Before the brief ban took effect on Sunday, TikTok was considered one of the few significant platforms that allowed pro-Palestinian content without bias. Screenshots and videos shared on X show comments being removed for allegedly breaching TikTok's hate speech rules.
One viral video, viewed more than eight million times, captures a notification from TikTok stating that the phrase “Free Palestine” was flagged for “hate speech and hateful behaviours”.
The backlash has been swift, with users on X accusing the platform of silencing Palestinian advocacy. This frustration has sparked broader questions about whether TikTok's moderation policies are being influenced by political pressures tied to its recent legal and political battles.
A representative for TikTok denied any bias against pro-Palestinian content in its content moderation. “Our community guidelines apply equally to all content on TikTok," the representative told The National. "TikTok does not moderate or remove content based on political sensitivities. We remove content if it violates community guidelines, but not on the basis of it being pro-Palestinian.”
A ban with political and security implications
TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, was initially given until January 19 to sell the platform to an American buyer or face a complete ban in the US. The legislation passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by Joe Biden, president at the time, because of national security concerns.
Politicians argued that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government, posing a risk to US privacy and security. On Sunday, TikTok went offline for US users.
Within hours, Mr Trump announced plans to issue an executive order delaying the ban's enforcement to allow time for negotiations, effectively bringing TikTok back online. Mr Trump framed his intervention as a victory for free speech and the millions of Americans who use the platform.
“Americans deserve to see our exciting inauguration on Monday, as well as other events and conversations,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform. He also hinted at a potential solution involving a joint venture between ByteDance and an American owner to address national security concerns.
Despite Mr Trump's efforts, the long-term future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain. Critics within Mr Trump's Republican party, including senators Tom Cotton and Pete Ricketts, oppose any delay in the ban's enforcement, arguing that TikTok poses an immediate threat.
“Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of 'extension' of its effective date,” they said in a joint statement. "For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law's qualified-divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China."
Tying ban to content moderation
Since Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel, US politicians have increasingly connected the potential TikTok ban to the platform's pro-Palestinian content. Last May, Mitt Romney, a US senator at the time, explicitly linked support for the ban to TikTok's content during a conversation with then secretary of state Antony Blinken at a McCain Institute forum in Sedona, Arizona.
“You have a social media ecosystem environment in which context, history, facts get lost and the emotion – the impact of images – dominates,” Mr Blinken said, responding to Mr Romney's query about the US and Israel's struggles to communicate justifications for the Gaza war.
Mr Romney suggested that TikTok's content might have influenced congressional support for the ban. “If you look at the postings on TikTok and the number of mentions of Palestinians, relative to other social media sites – it's overwhelmingly so among TikTok broadcasts," he added.
While the ban has been framed as a national security measure, Mr Romney's comments have also sparked a backlash from free-speech advocates, who argue that censoring content based on political viewpoints sets a dangerous precedent.
Censorship claims erode trust
The recent allegations of censorship have further fuelled distrust of TikTok among some users. Many have accused the platform of abandoning its role as a space for free expression, particularly for pro-Palestinian content.
As a result, users are increasingly migrating to alternative platforms including RedNote, a Shanghai-based social media app that has experienced a surge in American users. “We told you THIS is why they banned it,” one user wrote on X.
As debates about content moderation and political influence continue, creators and users wonder what is next for one of the world's most popular social media platforms.
More coverage from the Future Forum
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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Match info:
Wolves 1
Boly (57')
Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
The%C2%A0specs%20
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Company%20profile
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Company%C2%A0profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
