Online prostitution activities on TikTok are increasingly becoming a pressing issue as this platform gradually turns into an environment for illegal transactions.
Previously, this activity hid behind many accounts and private groups, even linking to external software and platforms. Cybersecurity experts initially warned that despite implementing many measures to prevent this activity, there are still many loopholes, and prostitution occurs surreptitiously and is hard to detect. Now, users are taken aback as many TikTok accounts openly sell sex in an unabashed manner: “Fresh seafood 45kg, I have it in the live” – a short and concise advertisement in a post.
Remember, like other social networks, TikTok also has a specific policy for advertising activities. One of the prohibited aspects is products, services, and entertainment activities related to adult sexual content. Specifically, TikTok prohibits the promotion, buying, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to pornographic material; promoting, buying, selling, soliciting, or facilitating access to adult entertainment (escort services, strip clubs), sexual services (escort services, prostitution, erotic massage), or any similar activities…
However, these advertisements still have not been effectively prevented. Users can only report or manually block these advertisements whenever they use the app. If an account is banned, the individual will quickly switch to another account.
Recently, while browsing entertainment videos on this platform, many users reported that they encountered livestream videos and advertisements inviting to buy and sell sex. Notably, the livestream videos livestream are all displayed on the suggested page in the form of “sponsored”. The “matchmaker” also openly livestreams, publicly stating the prices without any hesitation.
According to information on TikTok’s community standards page, this social network has developed tools and technologies to identify and remove harmful content and violations of Community Guidelines. However, it seems that this system is ineffective, as inappropriate content still easily bypasses regulations and appears on the platform openly.
Content creators with inappropriate videos often use dots or slashes placed between the letters of sensitive words to avoid the censorship system. Additionally, another way to circumvent the rules is to use characters to alter the structure of sensitive words. This information raises a question: What is TikTok’s censorship department in Vietnam doing when simply placing a few dots in the middle of a sensitive word allows the video to appear on the platform?
Users are waiting for TikTok to explain the current situation: why is the prostitution service increasingly rampant on the platform, is it that TikTok is not worried?