TikTok is blocking searches for WGA amid the ongoing writers strike

Users on TikTok searching for “WGA” are met with a screen claiming that the phrase “may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines.” No videos return. Users are also unable to search for the “WGA” hashtag.

TikTok has also blocked the search term “WGA strike.”

Additionally, it appears that TikTok is blocking results from any simple search that includes “WGA” in the search term. Including “WGA” in addition to another word — like “WGA support” or “WGA strong” — blocks results.

Update (9/11/23): A TikTok spokesperson told Media Matters that “WGA has been inadvertently blocked as part of the platforms’ protections against QAnon conspiracy theories.” (WWG1WGA is a common QAnon phrase.) The spokesperson added that searches for “Writers Guild of America” and “Writers Guild of America Strike” were not impacted. Searches for “WGA” and related terms now appear to function normally.

(Thanks mike591, SCB, and others for putting in the comments)

mike591,

Update (9/11/23): A TikTok spokesperson told Media Matters that “WGA has been inadvertently blocked as part of the platforms' protections against QAnon conspiracy theories.” Searches for “WGA” and related terms now appear to function normally.

Looks like it got fixed

utopianfiat,

I hear that QAnon talks a lot about GOP, Republicans, conservatism, border walls, etc. - but I don’t see them censoring that

charles,

Why let facts get in the way of a good outrage?

bitwise,

Suppressing the timely resolution of this strike allows new media companies that don't follow the same rules to fill the demand. I'm sure TikTok benefits from that to some small degree, but they probably suppress protest footage and related as a default to preserve "social harmony".

SCB,

Update (9/11/23): A TikTok spokesperson told Media Matters that “WGA has been inadvertently blocked as part of the platforms’ protections against QAnon conspiracy theories.” (WWG1WGA is a common QAnon phrase.) The spokesperson added that searches for “Writers Guild of America” and “Writers Guild of America Strike” were not impacted. Searches for “WGA” and related terms now appear to function normally.

Literally the first thing in the article.

bobman,

The amount of censorship on these mainstream platforms is a major reason why I don’t use them anymore.

These shitbags censor so much without even telling you. It’s insane.

JustAManOnAToilet,

I’m sure it just thinks the acronym is for something else that’s truly dangerous, and I mean that with all the sarcasm I can muster. Wild Gang Attacks, or maybe Waterproof Gazelle Assassins. Something it’s protecting the public from.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

It’s an anti-porn measure. WGA stands for We Guarantee Ass.

Ubermeisters,

White Gay Authoritatians

utopianfiat,

They said QAnon (i.e.: WWG1WGA)

Gradually_Adjusting,
@Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world avatar

Using tiktok violates my guidelines.

givesomefucks,

Users on TikTok searching for “WGA” are met with a screen claiming that the phrase “may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines.

Well, yeah… of course they’re against unions.

China is a far right authoritarian government, of course they’d hate unions and force “private” companies to do shit like this.

toasteecup,

Authoritarian Communist which is the top left of the common left to right authoritarian to libertarian political square.

The important thing is they’re central government dictates what the economic goals of the quarter will be and the various districts with to achieve it or lie to pretend they achieved it.

That contrasts with the rest of the world where the economy does what it does and we learn how the quarter was after it’s over.

utopianfiat,

The political compass isn’t real, and politics isn’t a square.

toasteecup,

I mean. Sure. It’s not real but as a concept it does a lot to help drive a common understanding.

As for the shape, it’s really more of a cube because you also have economic model.

utopianfiat,

You’re missing the point - the entire notion that political ideologies can have some discrete vectorization in a linearizable space is a social construct. To the extent that it has validity at all, it’s a projection of reality onto a space with inherent distortions. I’m not arguing that it’s not useful but it’s important to realize that the shared understanding it provides people with is a shared understanding of the idealized world of the model, not of the underlying reality.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

What the fuck does that even achieve? What is the game here?

charles,

Nothing, because it’s not what happened. They blocked qanon conspiracies and caught this by mistake.

I had the same thing happen when I was searching for “oxy carpet cleaner refills” and came up with no results because of anti-drug searching. I suppose this means they have a conspiracy against cheaper alternatives to carpet cleaners?

cazsiel,

They’re just being complicit in union busting. Nothing to see here.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

I guess. I don’t even see how this helps anti-union assholes much. Are they thinking out of sight out of mind is going to work when there’s no new TV this fall?

Dead_or_Alive,

Silencing the opposition so that your talking points and version of events is shown to the public is a extremely potent weapon.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

I get that in general, but why does TikTok even have a dog in this fight?

Dead_or_Alive,

I can only speculate. My own observations tell me it’s much easier for 1000 of the richest oligarchs to conspire together and show class solidarity than 200 million working class individuals. It’s especially effective when those oligarchs control the media that feeds the masses.

Microsoft, Google, Apple, and many large Silicon Valley firms were all caught colluding to keep wages suppressed by agreeing to not poach talent from each other. Why couldn’t other oligarchs collude during industry meetings.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

I guess, but isn’t TikTok competition for the studio system? People watching TikTok videos mean they aren’t watching paid streaming media or TV.

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