TikTok activates specialized task force after unrest in Barcelona

Social media platform TikTok has activated a specialized task force following the unrest and disturbances that took place in Barcelona on Saturday.

Police arrested 130 people on Saturday following riots that took place near Plaça Catalunya in the centre of Barcelona. According to the police, of those arrested, over 50% were minors. Furthermore, The incidents also caused damage or looting in around 30 commercial establishments and left 14 police officers injured, four of whom were serious.

TikTok explained in response to an inquiry from the Catalan News Agency that it has also strengthened its moderation efforts, which include proactive checks and the use of image and audio recognition technologies.

According to the platform, the goal is to detect and prevent content that violates its policies. The platform is also monitoring user activity, including removing videos, suspending live streams, and blocking accounts found to be in breach of its rules.

Furthermore, it has blocked searches that promote violence or criminal activity and has disabled the autocomplete feature for search queries related to protests.

TikTok also took the opportunity to remind users to consult reliable sources and encouraged the responsible use of live streaming.

It has also temporarily restricted certain monetization features for live streams linked to protests, in order to prevent financial exploitation.

Additionally, the platform condemns all forms of violence and has prohibited content that incites violence or promotes criminal activity.

Catalan government to act as private prosecutor

The Catalan government will join the legal proceedings as a private prosecutor against those who were arrested during the weekend's disturbances.

Spokesperson Sílvia Paneque assured that "the full weight of the law" would fall upon those responsible for the damage.

During a press conference following the government meeting, Paneque said the background to the events would be investigated "to the very end."

She also argued for the need to regulate platforms and social media to ensure they do not become "a space of impunity," and noted that the government is considering pushing for regulatory changes at the European level.