U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) have raised concerns about TikTok’s content moderation practices in a letter sent to the platform’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew. The senators criticized TikTok for banning advertisements that celebrate women’s achievements in sports while allowing graphic ads promoting transgender surgeries for minors.
In the letter, Blackburn and Ernst condemned TikTok’s decision to label pro-women sports advertisements as “hate speech.” They highlighted the case of XX-XY Athletics, a small business advocating for biological women in sports, whose ad was removed from the platform for allegedly being offensive.
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The ad, which celebrated female achievements in athletics, was deemed hate speech by TikTok, prompting the senators to accuse the platform of bias and indoctrination.
“Reporting from June indicates that TikTok banned XX-XY Athletics—an American-owned small business that supports biological women in sports—from advertising on the platform… TikTok labeled the content offensive and, later, hate speech. The advertisement deemed hateful by TikTok was simply a celebration of female achievement—using a real-life example—and encouraged young women to ‘be honest and be brave.’ Supporting young women should never be offensive, and it is telling that TikTok would consider a celebration of our girls in sports as worthy of being banned,” said the lawmakers.
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Blackburn and Ernst also pointed out that nearly 70% of Americans agree that athletes should compete based on their biological sex, stating that TikTok’s actions are an attack on women’s rights and free speech.
The senators called on TikTok to reconsider its stance and allow companies promoting biological women in sports to advertise on its platform.
The letter adds to ongoing scrutiny of TikTok’s influence over its American users and its role in shaping public discourse, particularly concerning issues related to gender, sports, and free speech.
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