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Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a recent Zoom meeting, 40 prominent tech leaders and business executives, primarily of Jewish descent, engaged in a discussion with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. According to a report in the New York Post, the focus of the conversation revolved around concerns about anti-Semitism on the platform and the alleged disproportionate visibility of pro-Palestine content during the war that Hamas terrorists launched on Israel on October 7th.
The meeting, which took place last month, saw the executives presenting an analysis of TikTok data during the conflict, the Post report added. The Fortune reported analysis, backed by 90 co-signers including notable figures such as Tinder co-founder Sean Rad and ex-Meta chief revenue officer David Fischer, and raised questions about what they perceived as an “unexplainable discrepancy” in content favoring Palestinians.
According to Anthony Goldbloom, a partner at AIX Ventures and one of the executives present, the analysis showed a stark contrast: “For every view of pro-Israel posts, there are about 54 views of pro-Palestine posts,” the Post report said. This led the group to question whether TikTok was accurately reflecting diverse perspectives or displaying a skewed ratio.
Concerns were also raised about the surge in anti-Semitic violence, prompting the executives to urge TikTok to reconsider its approach to identifying videos that violate its guidelines, as was reported by the Post. The executives expressed their worries during what was described as a “cordial” meeting, which took place amid renewed criticism of the China-owned app.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, along with other TikTok executives, reportedly attended the meeting. The Post reported that a TikTok spokesperson responded to the concerns, stating, “This is an extremely difficult time for millions of people around the world and in our TikTok community.” The spokesperson emphasized the importance of engaging with creators, human rights experts, civil society, and other stakeholders to guide their ongoing efforts to maintain a safe global community, the Post report added.
The Chinese-owned app has faced accusations of being used as a propaganda tool by the Chinese Communist Party to influence Americans and capture their data, allegations that TikTok vehemently denies, as was indicated in the Post report. As criticism mounts, some Republican lawmakers have called for TikTok to be banned in the United States, citing concerns about the spread of anti-Israel content. In response, TikTok has refuted these claims, asserting that there is “no basis to these false claims” regarding the rapid spread of pro-Palestine videos on the platform, the report in the Post said.
In mid-November, TikTok found itself embroiled in a controversy as influencers on the platform posted viral videos praising Osama bin Laden’s 2002 “letter to America.” According to the Post report, in this letter, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks referred to the creation of Israel as a “crime which must be erased” and controversially described the AIDS epidemic as a “Satanic American Invention.”
The social media platform responded to the uproar with a blog post on November 13, pushing back against criticism and denouncing what it termed as “misinformation and mischaracterization” about TikTok’s operation, the Post report said. The company claimed to have swiftly removed any videos violating its policy against hateful content.
In its defense, TikTok argued that direct comparisons of hashtags were flawed and misrepresented the platform’s activity. For instance, TikTok stated that while the hashtag #standwithIsrael might be associated with fewer videos than #freePalestine, it garnered 68% more views per video in the United States, indicating a higher level of engagement, according to the Post report.
The company categorically rejected claims that pro-Palestinian videos had a more extensive reach than pro-Israel content, dismissing such assertions as “simply false,” the Post reported. TikTok’s response reflects its commitment to addressing concerns related to the Israel-Hamas conflict and maintaining a balanced representation of content on its platform.
However, TikTok is not the only social media platform facing scrutiny in the wake of the conflict. The Post also reported that major corporations, including Disney and Apple, have suspended advertising on TikTok due to concerns about anti-Semitic content. This move is part of a broader trend, with companies taking a stand against problematic posts related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, including those from high-profile individuals like Elon Musk, the owner of X (presumably referring to SpaceX), the report in the Post added.
In a notable response, Musk fired back at companies withdrawing advertising dollars during an interview at the New York Times’ DealBook summit. As was reported by the Post, Musk’s unapologetic message, telling companies to “go f—k yourself,” was accompanied by a specific call-out to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Musk denied that the issue of anti-Semitic content was worse on X than on other social media platforms.
The ongoing debate underscores the broader responsibility that these platforms carry in managing content related to sensitive geopolitical issues.
