TikTok Labels 'Free Palestine' as 'Hate Speech' and 'Hateful Behavior,' Users Claim

TikTok is flagging posts containing the phrase "Free Palestine" for hate speech or hateful behavior, according to some users.

The reports follow the brief ban and reinstatement of the Chinese-owned app on Sunday. The shut down came after U.S. legislation demanded TikTok parent company, ByteDance, divest a portion of ownership to an American buyer or cease operating in the U.S. by the Jan. 19, 2025 deadline. President Donald Trump was credited with saving the app within hours of the shut down with a promise to extend the sale deadline.

On social media, speculation abounds that Trump's promise to save the app came with a price: censorship.

On X, formerly Twitter, @alexnaivety posted a screen recording where he writes "Free Palestine" below another user's TikTok video, then receives a system notification that a comment was removed. The notification references the comment, time it was posted and cites the violation as "hate speech and hateful behaviors."

Within 24 hours the post received over six million views, inciting users to share similar experiences and condemn TikTok's censorship.

The censorship claims have sparked a broader conversation about the platform's content moderation policies and perceived bias connected to Trump's influence. Other reports have surfaced claiming anti-Trump searches have been hidden on the app since its reinstatement, while over on META, users reportedly found their accounts had automatically followed Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

"The social media apps are bending the knee to the new fascist oligarchy," one user wrote above a screenshot of a TikTok community guidelines violation.

Some users have compared the situation to restrictions in authoritarian regimes. "Land of the 'free' but can't post 'free' Palestine," another wrote.

"TikTok is dead. Long live RedNote," was one of many comments encouraging TikTok users to migrate to another Chinese-owned social video app.

TikTok has yet to publicly address the accusations, leaving many questioning the extent of the platform's commitment to free speech and unbiased moderation.