TikTok will remove ‘offensive’ videos, Bangladesh minister says

The TikTok authorities have told the government they will take down “offensive” videos uploaded from Bangladesh, Mustafa Jabbar has said.

The video-sharing app removed some 10 videos after objections from the government on Wednesday, the post and telecommunication minister told bdnews24.com on Thursday.

He also said the government has no plans to ban the app, now based in China.

“There has been progress in talks with Facebook and YouTube as well [over removal of offensive contents],” Jabbar said.

The TikTok authorities had made the same assurance when the government had blocked the app and online game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG briefly last year, but they did not keep their words, the minister alleged.

Finally, TikTok responded positively when he spoke to an official of the company in Singapore over phone on Wednesday night.

“We have no problem if the TikTok users have fun staying within the rules,” the minister said.

Jabbar said the clamour to ban TikTok grew louder after the recent arrest of a TikToker in Dhaka over the alleged assault of a man while filming a video blocking a street.

The minister received scores of complaints after seeking links to “offensive” videos on TikTok in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“We report these links. They hear the complaints sometimes. But the response has been good in past two years. They are acknowledging immediately after the complaints,” he added.