Racist TikTok Users are Tricking Moderation To Spread Hate Speech

An iPhone screen with a TikTok pop-up warning a user that posting comments may violate guidelines, and the iPhone is surrounded by TikTok logos in front of a white background
Credit: TikTok

An iPhone screen with a TikTok pop-up warning a user that posting comments may violate guidelines, and the iPhone is surrounded by TikTok logos in front of a white background
Credit: TikTok

Wherever there are online comments, some people are always looking to spread hate speech and post nasty remarks to ruin others' days. Unfortunately, TikTok isn’t immune to this, despite being one of the largest social media platforms today.

While TikTok has made efforts to stop the spread of misinformation and has implemented auto-moderation tools to curb hate speech, there is no shortage of individuals trying to bypass these moderation features to spread vitriol in the worst possible ways.

If you've been scrolling through the comments of people using the TikTok Inside Out 2 filter, or wondering about the TikTok 'Hawk Tuah' girl, you might have noticed people leaving nasty comments filled with random symbols—strange letters that seem unrelated to the comment or video in question.

Translating these symbols reveals that they are utter nonsense. The comments are written in Amharic, but the content is absurd and meaningless. As users on the r/TikTok subreddit have discovered, this is just a method to bypass TikTok’s auto-moderation, allowing users to say whatever they want and avoid bans.

According to one user, a generator scrambles the 'visual location of text' to evade the auto-moderation's scrutiny, thus avoiding bans from TikTok's filters. However, reporting these comments still usually results in their removal and the user being banned. Those who use these generators need to continuously change their tactics to avoid the eventual ban hammer.

This is yet another example of how some people can be nasty online. Instead of simply scrolling past a TikTok they don’t like, they prefer to use workarounds to spread their hate. It’s a relief when TikTok comments aren’t working, as it spares video creators from the vile comments left by online trolls.

In any case, hopefully TikTok can implement stricter moderation on one of the best iPhone apps and best Android apps soon to prevent these situations.