TikTok has blocked several hashtags related to the QAnon conspiracy theory, but will not delete the videos using the hashtags on its platform, the BBC reported. The video-sharing application has blocked the terms “QAnon”, “QAnonTruth” and the related phrase “Out of Shadows”, which are used by QAnon believers.
But as the BBC reports, QAnon videos could appear among TikTok For You suggestions or in user feeds, even if the hashtags are no longer visible.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.
Other platforms have taken a tougher stance against the QAnon material; Earlier this week, Twitter announced that it was banning 7,000 accounts, blocking QAnon related links, and restricting 150,000 more accounts. Twitter will no longer promote accounts or highlight them as trending topics. Facebook removed several groups and pages promoting QAnon in April, saying they were involved in “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” Roku ripped a QAnon channel off its platform, and Reddit banned the QAnon r / GreatAwakening subreddit for violating its rules against “inciting violence, harassment, and the dissemination of personal information.”
QAnon is a conspiracy theory that claims, among other things, that President Donald Trump secretly plans to arrest high-profile Democratic politicians and celebrities for pedophilia or cannibalism. About a dozen Republican candidates for the post have expressed their support for QAnon, and several of his supporters have been accused of violent acts.
