Clashes in Milan, TikTok: "We condemn violence, we have activated task forces"

"We distinguish between content that documents protests and those that incite violence - reads the company's official statement -, guaranteeing access to information and public debate, while combating the improper use of the platform"

Firm condemnation of all forms of violence. After last weekend's riots which set the center of Milan on fire, TikTok communicates its disapproval and, with an official statement, specifies that it does not allow content that incites or promotes criminal activities. "We distinguish between contents that document protests and those that incite violence - we read in an official note - guaranteeing access to information and public debate, while combating the improper use of the platform. In response to the recent unrest, we have activated a task force and strengthened moderation activities, including through image and audio recognition technologies".

Moderation activities

TikTok reports that, "as the situation evolves, we continue our moderation efforts, removing videos, suspending Lives and blocking accounts that violate our rules. So far, violation rates remain in line with those observed in previous periods. We are also working with trusted partners, including independent fact-checkers, to identify potential emerging threats." For the company, "additional security measures have been introduced, including blocking search terms that incite violence or criminal activity, deactivating autocomplete for protests-related searches and limiting search suggestions. We are also inviting users to consult reliable sources and to use Live in a responsible manner, temporarily limiting some monetization features of live broadcasts related to protests, to prevent any forms of economic exploitation".

The buzz on social media

According to police investigations, the riots of October 17 and 18 arose from disaggregated groups, without a defined political flag or ideology. The bait videos on TikTok and the messages in the chats have pushed many under 18s, coming from different backgrounds, to converge towards the center of Milan (Piazza Duomo, Galleria, San Babila) to carry out vandalism, steal and challenge the police. Many of the young people involved used real-time platforms to publish photos and videos with road signs torn down, stones in their hands or shop windows destroyed. The riots have become a "perfect backdrop" for many to accumulate views and take group photos. According to testimonies and media reconstructions, in fact, for many kids the primary objective was "to be there" to record content.