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Short video platform TikTok has stepped up its supervision efforts, removing more than 2.2 million illegal videos in Singapore in the first half of 2024, more than 1.5 times the number of approximately 830,000 in the second half of 2023.
However, many people still try to circumvent censorship, such as using obscure terms to promote sexual services in videos.
As its global user base continues to grow, TikTok has also attracted criminals who use short videos to conduct illegal activities.
Data provided by TikTok showed that in the second half of 2023, the company removed 834,633 videos in Singapore; in the first half of 2024, this number increased to 2,210,497.
The illegal content mainly focuses on: sensitive and adult themes (such as sexual services or nudity), regulated goods and commercial activities, and mental and behavioral health (such as self-harm or dangerous activities).
TikTok said that the platform uses technology and manual review to remove most illegal videos before they are reported by the public. In the first half of 2024, 93.6% of illegal videos were removed within 24 hours of uploading, a significant increase from 81.2% in the second half of 2023.
TikTok: Violating accounts permanently banned after content suggesting prostitution services appeared on platform
Despite increased platform regulation, some users still use obscure words to post short videos related to sexual services on TikTok. For example, some videos attract attention through code words such as “eating seafood” and “spending the night”, while attaching contact information and even openly indicating that sexual services are provided.
Some readers have reported such videos and accounts to us, but received a reply saying that the content did not violate the community regulations.
The reporter’s investigation found that the contents of these videos can be divided into two categories: one is women’s selfie videos, and the other is with local street scenes as the background, but both imply sexual services. Some account profiles even clearly state that they provide sexual services, and directly attach local or Malaysian phone numbers to solicit private messages from the public.
The reporter tried to contact the relevant account and was subsequently directed to groups on chat application platforms such as Telegram, where he found a lot of content related to prostitution, including information such as the services provided by different women.
In response to reporters’ questions via WhatsApp, some accounts said that they did provide “special services” and that transactions could be conducted at their local residences.
In response to the reporter’s inquiries about the illegal accounts, a TikTok spokesperson said that these accounts have been permanently banned for violating the platform’s community regulations. “We have also taken action against other similar offending accounts,” the spokesperson said.
Singapore police: We have noticed that prostitution gangs are using technology to change their patterns
When asked, the Singapore Police Force said it had noticed that prostitution gangs were changing their operating models through technological means such as mobile applications, social media and websites.
The 2020 revised Women’s Charter has further strengthened the ability to combat online prostitution activities, allowing the police to crack down on criminals who operate local prostitution activities remotely through overseas platforms.
“Police will continue to take enforcement action to target syndicated prostitution activities, including those using telecommunications services.”
