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TikTok removed nearly 105 million videos in 2020 for ‘violating community guidelines’

In this photo illustration, the social media application logo, TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone on April 13, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia - TikTok has pledged $250 million to local organizations around the world supporting healthcare, education, and struggling communities impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Rising social media platform, which has been in the middle of an ownership conflict, announced it had removed nearly 105 million videos in the first half of 2020, across the globe.

The company said that only accounted for less than 1% of the videos on the platform. In its TikTok Transparency report released early Tuesday, the company said the videos were removed for violating the community guidelines or terms of service.


96% were removed before a user reported them, and 90% were removed before they received any views, according to the company.

A majority of the videos were removed from India. The United States had 9.8 million videos removed from January to June.

The top reasons for removal were: adult nudity and sexual activities, minor safety, illegal activities and regulated goods, suicide or self-harm and violent/graphic content being the most common reasons.

TikTok said it launched a fact-checking program and created TikTok-style videos with creators to teach users about media literacy and misinformation. The platform also partnered with the World Health Organizations and celebrities like Bill Nye the Science Guy to provide “authoritative content” about COVID-19.

TikTok was scheduled to be banned over the weekend in the United States, but President Donald Trump said he’s given his “blessing” to a proposed deal that would see the popular video-sharing app TikTok partner with Oracle and Walmart and form a U.S. company.