UPDATE: TikTok removed another Reality Check with Brittany Hughes clip and then restored it a couple of hours later since the publishing of this blog. Including the most recent incident, the platform censored MRC 18 times, 15 times in 2 months and 13 times in the month of February alone.
TikTok has ramped up its censorship in 2022. The platform, affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, censored the Media Research Center three times last year and 14 times in the last two months for a total of 17 times.
MRC’s video production department, MRCTV, posts short versions of its longer videos on the world's most popular website, TikTok. The platform “blocked” MRCTV’s posting privileges twice and removed 10 videos just in the month of February. Nearly all the videos were on the platform for weeks before TikTok’s aggressive takedowns, and the platform rejected four of MRCTV’s appeals. The censored content ranged from popular shows like Reality Check with Brittany Hughes and CensorTrack with TR to story breakdowns and clips of liberals making fools of themselves.
TikTok removed seven bite-sized versions of MRCTV’s most popular show, Reality Check with Brittany Hughes. In one video, MRCTV Managing Editor Brittany Hughes exposed CNN and other leftist news sites for asserting that outdoor recreation—camping, hiking, etc.—is racist. "Outdoor recreation is not racist. You want to go wander around Yosemite or hike the Adirondacks? World's your oyster," she said. “What is racist is thinking minorities are pawns to be used for political gain by… treating them like stupid little victims who need the government to hold their hand just to go outside.” TikTok removed the clip over seven weeks after it was posted due to an unexplained "Community Guidelines" violation. The video was later reinstated.
The platform also ditched two episodes of MRC’s weekly Big Tech censorship update, CensorTrack with TR. Staff Writer, Researcher and Video Creator Tierin-Rose Mandelburg broke down Big Tech's attack on mRNA vaccine scientist Dr. Robert Malone. She explained six times Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn removed content featuring Malone's opinions on the COVID-19 vaccines. TikTok removed the video three weeks after it was posted, citing another unexplained "Community Guidelines" violation. The platform also removed and refused to restore an episode highlighting Facebook’s censorship of the “COVID-19 vaccine exposed” series by Project Veritas.
Other removed videos included:
- An unrestored news breakdown of the Department of Health and Human Services’ alleged inclusion of crack pipes in a grant for safe smoking kits.
- MRCTV Director Eric Scheiner ripping economists for downplaying inflation.
- Footage of Nancy Pelosi comparing COVID-19 vaccines mandates to tetanus shot “mandates.”
TikTok has grown enormous influence and forged ties with the Chinese Communist Party. Forbes reported TikTok was the most visited website and most downloaded app in the world in 2021. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance also sold a 1 percent stake of the platform to a Beijing company owned by three communist state entities, according to Reuters.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact TikTok via email at communitymanager@tiktok.com or by mail at 5800 Bristol Parkway, Culver City, CA 90232 and demand Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
