--- title: "TikTok Tried to Suppress Videos by Users It Deemed Ugly, Poor" description: "TikTok told its moderators to suppress videos created by \"ugly,\" poor, or disabled people to be posted on the platform's \"For You\" section." date: "2020-03-16" modified: "2020-03-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tiktok-surpress-videos-ugly-poor-people" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "china" - "the digest" - "tiktok" --- # TikTok Tried to Suppress Videos by Users It Deemed Ugly, Poor ![TikTok told its moderators to suppress videos created by "ugly," poor, or disabled people to be posted on the platform's "For You" section.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* ## Ugly Truth Chinese video-sharing app TikTok told its moderators to suppress videos created by "ugly," poor, or disabled people to be posted on the platform's main video section, according to internal documents [obtained by *The Intercept*](). Other documents showed that anything harming "national honor" or streams about "state organs such as police" would also be banned banned outright. Users that showed "disreputable decorations" in their homes, including cracked walls, would also get banned — an attempt, according to *The Intercept*'s interpretation, to punish TikTok's poorer audiences. ## Cover Up The documents appeared to be crudely translated into English and used in the platform's offices around the world. A spokesperson told *The Intercept* that the guidelines are "no longer in use, or in some cases appear to never have been in place." The spokesperson, however, didn't deny that rules were indeed in place blocking uploads by the disabled, the poor, and the unattractive, stating that they "represented an early blunt attempt at preventing bullying." ## "For You" It's still unclear what earns TikTok users a spot in the coveted "For You" section. According to the document however, "if the character’s appearance or the shooting environment is not good, the video will be much less attractive, not worthing \[sic\] to be recommended to new users." The policy even specified what physical flaws to look out for, including "abnormal body shape," "ugly facial looks," and "obvious beer belly." **READ MORE:** [TikTok Told Moderators to Suppress Posts by “Ugly” People and the Poor to Attract New Users]() \[*The Intercept*\] **More on TikTok:** *[Bored Teens Are Posting on TikTok About Being Quarantined]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()