On Monday, a day after TikTok came back online for the U.S., people started noticing that the app would not let them comment “free palestine.”
Several TikTok users posted screenshots on X and Bluesky showing the message they received after trying to comment “free palestine” under other people’s posts. TikTok users started reporting this on Sunday, following a tense few hours where the app blocked U.S. users from access ahead of a potential ban, displaying instead a notification sucking up to then-incoming president Donald Trump.
You can no longer say #FreePalestine on TikTok pic.twitter.com/3g6rg0jOpP
— Tired Peasant (@LizzieCosmos) January 20, 2025
The price of TikTok’s reinstatement in the US very clear this morning. pic.twitter.com/7mBDooCxRZ
— Jamie McLaughlin (@jjsmclaughlin) January 22, 2025
I tried this myself on Tuesday morning, using two different throwaway TikTok accounts. Using one account, I could comment “free palestine” without a problem, and that comment is still up as of Wednesday morning. Using another, my “free palestine” comments were immediately removed repeatedly, and I received a notification that I had violated the TikTok Community Guidelines. I could comment with a nonsense phrase (“free shavacado”) using that same account, however, and TikTok didn’t remove it.
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