Users on TikTok searching for “WGA” are met with a screen claiming that the phrase “may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines.” No videos return. Users are also unable to search for the “WGA” hashtag.
TikTok has also blocked the search term “WGA strike.”
Additionally, it appears that TikTok is blocking results from any simple search that includes “WGA” in the search term. Including “WGA” in addition to another word — like “WGA support” or “WGA strong” — blocks results.
Update (9/11/23): A TikTok spokesperson told Media Matters that “WGA has been inadvertently blocked as part of the platforms’ protections against QAnon conspiracy theories.” (WWG1WGA is a common QAnon phrase.) The spokesperson added that searches for “Writers Guild of America” and “Writers Guild of America Strike” were not impacted. Searches for “WGA” and related terms now appear to function normally.
(Thanks mike591, SCB, crowsby, and others for putting in the comments)
Yet another demonstration of the dangers of allowing a communication channel to be controlled by an entity whose motives aren’t aligned with what the users of that channel actually want / need.
Fediverse is the best collective action I can think of against this kind of censorship.
It’s been wild over the last few years to see authoritarians cheering on corporate social media censorship, as though it will never be turned on them.
Fuck censorship.
Why would it turn against them? It aligns perfectly with their ideology.
Oh but didn’t you hear? China is a paradise for workers and definitely not capitalist in any way
The CCP has a more active presence on Lemmy than TikTok
The CCP controls the entirety of TikTok. Here you might have some instances controlled by tankies and a higher percentage of tankie users, but the vast majority of instances are managed by “normal” people.
Not the World Canadian Bureau!
Why would people even use TikTok? I don’t understand the idiocy.
WTF? What do they gain or lose from all of this!?
My guy do you really not understand the shared desire of corporations to prevent solidarity and organization among workers?
I get that. I just didn’t see how TikTok benefited from all of this directly. Then someone reminded me that they’re from China, and it all made sense now.
Realistically the only way China is particularly relevant here is just how blatant it is. It’s in the interest of all corporations to suppress pro-union sentiment.
How often do you think organized protest goes uninterrupted by force in
mainlandChina?Oh! Right. I keep forgetting they’re in China.
Probably money. Given enough money, I’m sure tiktok will ban any search term
China doesn’t want people to know about the strength of unity
Comes up fine for me
What’s with people not reading?
From the article which has also been updated in the blurb.
Update (9/11/23): A TikTok spokesperson told Media Matters that “WGA has been inadvertently blocked as part of the platforms’ protections against QAnon conspiracy theories.” (WWG1WGA is a common QAnon phrase.) The spokesperson added that searches for “Writers Guild of America” and “Writers Guild of America Strike” were not impacted. Searches for “WGA” and related terms now appear to function normally.
Whats up with OP keeping a post up when the title no longer corroborates the story contents?
Because everyone else in here can read and they understand how time works.
In a world where you can edit the title, cuz Lemmy, you would only leave that title to remain inflammatory.
Youre keeping it up for the clout
lol. that’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time. Yes, I definitely love doing a shit-ton of free labor for imaginary internet points. What is this clout and how is it going to help me? When does it unlock some money to pay my rent?
You think i’m indebted to you to do additional free labor because you didn’t want to read the article or the blurb. I’m here to help build a community that isn’t reddit by sharing stories that might have value to people. Doing that, means making posts and starting useful discussions.
For some reason, the f’n dregs of reddit came over who don’t want to do work, but want to complain to everyone else to do it for them. In the past 4 weeks, I’ve been accused by commenters of so much stupid shit in the last 4 weeks. Today it’s passing misinformation because you came into an article 24 hours after it was posted and wanted the title changed (despite that going against the posted rules). The other day it was bias because someone thought i wasn’t posting enough news about a tech giant who wasn’t generating news. I’m starting to doubt this will ever work because of some of the people here.
I didn’t say change the title, I said remove the post because it’s false info.
If the common denominator for all the issues in your last paragraph is you, the problem might be you.
lol. it’s not false info. It just doesn’t apply anymore, and it still has important info.
You still don’t get misinfo.
Hmm. How will I hack my Windows XP to activate it if I can’t search for Windows Genuine Advantage?
I miss the good ’ ol FCKGW-RHQQ2-YXRKT-8TG6W-2B7Q8 days.
These guys can’t even commie right…
Jfc…
Does anyone even care about the plight of labour anymore? Politically wise?
???
That’s TikTok, from a private corporation. They do not represent the CPC or the Chinese Government.
TikTok’s parent corporation is strongly tied to the Chinese gov’t and the CCP. So yes, they do, though of course they deny it…
even private Chinese companies have to adhere to the CCP’s guidelines and requests.
American companies do the same tho… but point stands all around.
NO such thing is “private sector” only thing that’s private is the “HOLY PROFIT” any losses covered by labour that generated the profit, or not
Removed by mod
Um TikTok confirmed that it was happening.
Removed by mod
lol. some people just can’t read. It’s both in the article and in the blurb above. – that it was confirmed, why it happened, and that it’s working.
