TikTok criticised for hiding videos made by disabled users

Is TikTok hiding videos made by disabled users?

TikTok has been criticised after reports say it stopped people with physical disabilities going viral on the app.

The popular video app is accused of hiding videos featuring people with physical disabilities as a way to stop them being targeted by cyber bullies.

The company says that, with reflection, its policy was 'wrong' and was put in place because of a rise in bullying on the app.

What did TikTok do?

TikTok told moderators - people in charge of monitoring what is put online - to look out for people who may be at risk because of their disability and stop them from appearing in the app's main feed.

This then stopped users with physical disabilities from being seen by others and going viral.

As many of you will know, TikTok is a very popular app.

In November, it had been downloaded more times than Instagram and more than a billion times, overall.

When you sign up to TikTok it asks you to put in your age. If you are under 13, you shouldn't be on the app.

What have TikTok said?

In a statement to Newsround, TikTok told us the policy was meant to be a short-term fix to bullying on the app.

It said: "Early on, in response to an increase in bullying on the app, we implemented a blunt and temporary policy.

"This was never designed to be a long-term solution, and while the intention was good, it became clear that the approach was wrong.

"We want TikTok to be a space where everyone can safely and freely express themselves, and we have long since changed the policy in favour of more nuanced anti-bullying policies."