FEATURED
Key Takeaways
- TikTok has removed multiple videos by The College Fix honoring Charlie Kirk, despite these videos not containing any graphic content related to his assassination.
- The latest video, posted on Kirk's birthday, highlighted tributes and controversies surrounding him but was rejected by TikTok for violating community guidelines, with no explanation provided.
- In contrast, TikTok allowed videos of the assassination to circulate before removing them, indicating a potential bias against conservative viewpoints and content.
ANALYSIS
For the third time in a month, TikTok has removed videos posted by The College Fix honoring the late Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA.
Notably, none of the videos included any footage or photos of the assassination itself or the chaos immediately following. All of these videos were posted to Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube without an issue. TikTok has not responded to requests for more information.
Most recently, Fix student reporter Hannah Brady reported on the “10 Moments that Defined the Charlie Kirk Tragedy.”
The six-minute video was posted to all major platforms on October 14, which would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. The video covers the many tributes to Kirk, controversies, social media reactions, campus responses, conspiracies, Charlie’s memorial, and Turning Point USA’s record growth.
TikTok did not allow this video to be uploaded, citing a “community guidelines violation,” with no way to appeal the claim.
This censorship follows a pattern The Fix has seen.
First, the Big Tech company delayed an emotional and reflective five-minute video titled “Remembering Charlie Kirk” that highlighted some of the Millennial activist’s most outstanding moments. It showcased three clips of him debating students on various hot-button topics. The video ends by quoting reactions to his murder.
TikTok delayed the upload citing that the video was “under review” and would be finished within 12 hours. After the 12 hour mark, TikTok removed the video due to a violation of community guidelines. No details regarding this decision were provided.
The Fix then attempted to post the video again, where it was heavily censored, garnering only 25 views. In comparison, Fix TikTok videos usually get a couple hundred videos.
The next video was a screen grab of The Fix website, which at the time detailed all of the original Fix reporting in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Real headlines were used, including “Professors spread misinformation, claim Kirk alleged killer not necessarily leftist” and “UMich professor mocks Kirk’s death as ‘prudent’ and ‘rational.'”
This video was posted, but again heavily censored, garnering virtually no views.
Yet, TikTok allowed videos of the actual assassination of Kirk to circulate for days before removing the videos and not punishing the creators. But when a conservative organization posts heartfelt tributes, they are blocked and removed.
These are not the only times TikTok censored The Fix.
The Big Tech company also removed a popular College Fix video that showed two leftists being detained by police after they flipped a table prior to an event with Riley Gaines.
The video showed the masked leftists attacking the table at Pennsylvania State University. They were handcuffed by police on disorderly conduct accusations.
TikTok first removed the video for “bullying and doxxing” after it had been up for about 12 hours and had been viewed more than 120,000 times with thousands of positive comments.
The virality of the video was a success considering the new account had only a few hundred followers.
The Fix filed an appeal and the company restored the video for around four hours, before the company removed it again for “abusive behavior” – at this point the video had nearly half a million views.
A second appeal was not successful, and it seems the account has been shadowbanned or “punished” ever since this incident occurred nearly two years ago.
MORE: Harvard course on black women in politics omits prominent conservatives
