TikTok staff told to avoid flagging problems with Amazon accounts

TikTok staff were told they should avoid flagging potential problems on Amazon accounts to protect the video platform’s lucrative commercial relationship with the e-commerce multinational, according to internal communications seen by the Guardian. Some moderators were told in the autumn not to take negative action against a list of more than 60 Amazon-related accounts on TikTok because the US company is a heavy advertiser on the platform. According to exchanges seen by the Guardian, staff who vet TikTok videos and ensure they adhere to content guidelines were advised not to take down the accounts or apply any “tags”. Tagging a video or account could ultimately lead to an account being taken down or not being shown on the For You Page. TikTok insisted this was not official company policy.