TikTok has been heavily criticised for hypocrisy in its removal of a video on its platform heavily criticising gambling advertising. 

Kate Susabu has had a video in which she criticises gambling advertisements on broadcast TV removed from TikTok’s platform.

In the video, Susabu mentions her grandfather’s addiction and also links her viewership to an anti-gambling petition asking broadcasters to stop using advertising funds from gambling companies as a source of funding.

Susabu also referenced research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies showing more than 70 percent of male gamblers between 18 and 35 years of age are at risk of problem gambling behaviours.

Citing an infringement on community guidelines at the time, TikTok removed Susabu’s video, as any content that specifically mentions gambling is prohibited by the social media giant. A measure that has since been removed from the guidelines.

Accusation of hypocrisy

However, advertisements may be exempt from this prohibition if they are subject to an authorised agreement with four gambling companies. 

What’s more, after signing an agreement with Australia’s largest gambling operator, Sportsbet last year, TikTok chose to remove its ban on gambling content altogether.

This move came with heavy backlash, with public health professionals accusing the firms of utilising the deal to attract a new generation of gamblers.

This opposition would continue to grow but in spite of this, TikTok expanded its betting partnerships once again to include companies Neds and Dabble. 

Another concern is that the content now being produced by these partnerships regularly features former athletes and personalities and is at times native and not clearly identifiable as advertising material. 

Beyond disappointing

Commenting on the removal of her videos, Susabu was overwhelmingly disappointed stating:

“My focus is on positive social change and considering how gambling is shown to exacerbate social problems, it is mind-boggling that TikTok removed the video promoting my anti-gambling petition and not once but twice.”

She would go on to call into question TikTok’s hypocritical moves, as an app that markets itself as something enjoyable for teens and young people while using incredibly significant advertisements to make enormous sums of money. 

Other marketers have also accused gambling companies of using TikTok to advertise to young women in an effort to diversify the gambling customer base. 

TikTok’s dispute

The world’s 6th largest social media platform replied to this criticism stating that any advertisements featuring gambling content are strictly targeted towards adults 21 and over and there are limits in place for how many times these may be shown.

Further to this point, a spokesperson from TikTok added:

 “There is an opt-out feature for those who do not wish to see the ads. We are also continuing to monitor the ads to ensure that all users have a safe experience.”

Australia’s gambling advertising

All gambling advertising is set to be banned in Australia in the next three years, subsequent to a parliamentary inquiry, in order to prevent the manipulation of what was described as an “impressionable and vulnerable” audience.

This action would follow suit with several European countries that already adhere to similar legislation such as Poland and Moldova. 

Added pressure is also being mounted on the federal government from gambling companies and multiple other proponents of harm reduction. This has already resulted in TikTok requiring content related to gambling including phrases aimed at minimising gambling harm.

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