Company response

TikTok says it condemns all forms of violence and does not allow content that incites them or promotes criminal activity. The statements, reported on 21 October 2026 by several Italian outlets, follow protests and clashes in Milan, Turin and Bologna. The company's Italian representatives said in a note that it draws a line between videos documenting the protests and those that encourage violence. According to the company, that separation is meant to keep information and public debate open while curbing misuse of the platform. TikTok says it has set up a task force to put this approach into practice.

“We condemn all forms of violence and do not allow content that incites them or promotes criminal activity.”

Moderation and search limits

The task force works with a stronger moderation effort that includes image and audio recognition technology. TikTok says it is removing videos, suspending LIVE streams and blocking accounts that break its rules, and that violation rates so far remain in line with earlier periods. It is also working with trusted partners, including independent fact-checkers, to identify emerging threats. Additional safety steps block search terms that incite violence or criminal activity, disable autocomplete for protest-related searches and limit search suggestions. The company says these steps will continue to be applied as the situation evolves, and it is urging users to rely on trustworthy sources and to use LIVE streams responsibly.

“With the situation evolving, we continue our moderation, removing videos, suspending LIVEs and blocking accounts that violate our rules.”

Monetization and young users

TikTok has temporarily limited some monetization features for LIVE streams related to the protests, in order to prevent the events from being exploited for financial gain. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that footage of clashes, looting and violence in Milan and other cities helped identify two minors involved in looting, one of them 11 years old. The same outlet says protest videos have gone viral in several countries and reach younger users in particular. It adds that the need to tell documentation of events apart from incitement to violence is growing. The company's approach therefore works on several levels at once, from how videos circulate to how easily they can be found and how they earn money.

Scope of the unrest

Open describes clashes in Turin, Milan and Bologna, with violent footage spreading across the platform. According to that outlet, the company wants to stop its service from being flooded with violent videos and with content that incites looting and robbery ahead of further unrest. Images from Milan and other cities show clashes, looting and violence. The measures are aimed at limiting how easily such content can be found, shared and monetized on the platform.