TikTok Set to Prohibit Videos Promoting Osama bin Laden’s 2002 Letter Justifying Attacks vs Americans
The popular social media platform TikTok is set to ban videos promoting Osama bin Laden’s 2002 letter to America.
On Thursday (November 16, 2023), the social media giant announced that it will no longer allow content promoting Osama bin Laden’s 2002 letter, which outlined justifications for attacks against Americans.
The decision comes as discussions around the two-decades-old letter resurfaced on the platform. The video discusses the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict, leading to concerns about the spread of controversial and potentially harmful content.
Osama bin Laden’s letter, penned after the 2001 al Qaeda attack on the United States, criticized U.S. support for Israel, accused Americans of financing the “oppression” of Palestinians, and included antisemitic comments.
The short-form video app took a firm stance, stating that content promoting this letter violates their rules against supporting any form of terrorism. “Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism,” TikTok said.
The firm addressed the issue clarifying that reports of the trending letter. The content has a notice indicating that the phrase may be associated with content violating the platform’s guidelines.
The app emphasized its commitment to enforcing rules against the promotion of terrorism.
Several lawmakers from the United States including Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer, had previously criticized TikTok, accusing it of promoting pro-terrorist propaganda.
The White House also weighed in, with spokesperson Andrew Bates stating that there is never a justification for spreading such lies.
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“There is never a justification for spreading the repugnant, evil, and antisemitic lies that the leader of al Qaeda issued just after committing the worst terrorist attack in American history,” Bates said.
Since October 7, 2023, the platform has removed hundreds of thousands of videos for committing violations such as spreading misinformation and promoting violence.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the company’s move:
