In an apology note TikTok sent to creators who had been invited, the company cited “extensive technical issues with production” as the reason some guests had trouble accessing the conversation. The email also clarified that the invitation was sent to a large community of creators.
“The meetup was open to our collective community of creators – including #BlackTikTok #CasaTikTok, #LearnOnTikTok, and more,” said the email seen by BuzzFeed News. “On behalf of TikTok’s creative team, we apologize for the confusion and negative experience, as this was meant to be an opportunity for fans to connect with Nicki in a unique setting to celebrate her new music.”
The company acknowledged the frustrations and promised to assess the changes needed to prevent it from happening again.
TikTok has regularly been criticized by black creators for not properly addressing issues, such as censorship and phantom bans, that people like Louis say still fall victim to to this day.
Louis, a 22-year-old from Florida, has been openly critical of the platform and was at the forefront of a protest last year that saw black creators refuse to create and participate in a dance challenge for “Thot Shit” by Megan Thee Stallion.
The protest showed that the platform relies heavily on choreography by black creators which is going viral.
And now, the treatment of black creators at the Black History Month event shows the platform hasn’t changed, Louis said.
When asked what the company needs to do to better accommodate its black designers, he said it needs to do “something as simple as making sure this space works for them in a way that they feel safe, comfortable, they have the space to talk and express their feelings or concerns or just their joy or excitement to be there. They dropped the ball. »