TikTok users go on the China made app to have fun and make cool videos, but are they aware tat they are also going on the app to be judged. It has been reported with supportive documents that TikTok moderators have been instructed to go through the app to determine who is considered poor and ugly. Once the determination is made that user will receive less views in order to make more views for the rich and beautiful.
While most may say there is no way to determine who is ugly or beautiful, it still doesn’t rule out the advantage of higher economical users.
So how did moderators determine who was eligible to become blocked? The document rules defined body guidelines as Abnormal body shape, chubby, have obvious beer belly, obese, or too thin (not limited to:dwarf, acromegaly). Moderators also judeg video quality, in regards to having attractive backgrounds. According to the app less rich looking environments are not that suitable for
new users in attempt to find eye catching material for promotion.
In regards to facial features the app guidelines targeted users with what they listed as Ugly facial looks (not limited to: disformatted
face, fangs, lack of front teeth, senior people with too many wrinkles, obvious facial scars) or facial deformities (not limited to: eye disorders, crooked mouth disease and other disabilities).
TikTok spokesperson Josh Gartner told The Intercept that “most of” the livestream guidelines reviewed by The Intercept “are either no longer in use, or in some cases appear to never have been in place,” but would not provide specifics. Regarding the policy of suppressing videos featuring unattractive, disabled, or poor users, Gartner stated that the rules “represented an early blunt attempt at preventing bullying, but are no longer in place, and were already out of use when The Intercept obtained them.”
