Let me state up front, I am the biggest advocate for TikTok. and Triller. And Instagram. And social media platforms, but….. Most of my clients are on these platforms and generate most of their revenue from TikTok at the moment. And that is why I can say categorically say, the algorithm has definitely changed. Additionally, TikTok has been WAY more aggressive at deleting accounts.In fact, one of my biggest clients, Perez Hilton who is the world known Celebrity journalist and pop culture expert recently had his account deleted. Not frozen. Deleted. TikTok’s explanation was candidly crap and we are quite sure it had to do with his reporting on many of the young, big influencers on the platform. To add to Perez, my client @barrr_none has been repeatedly harassed for his content. What is the line here? Its ok for near naked women/girls to dance and stick their butts in the camera but its not ok to have FREEDOM of SPEECH?While this question is not just for TikTok, at what point does a social platform have a more dominant say on free speech than the friggin Constitution of the United States of America. I thought free speech meant something in this country? Not hate speech, but free unadulterated conversation in the manner you choose including the “crude and unapproved language” that has become our norm in the US and elsewhere today.

Can we not say when we are pissed off? Is it not ok on social media to say what you think such as if you feel someone is a sell out or even worse lying to you/us? What is the actual value of social media if not as a jumping off point to share your views? Also, who is making these completely uneven decisions on who is in and who gets deleted/muted/frozen accounts?

Is it TikTok USA? Is it TikTok China? Even worse, is it a bot? AI determining our free speech? Screw that! I’d rather just scribble notes on my website than be censored by a damn bot! When are we all going to take back our free speech and not let companies determine what is our constitutionally given right as an American to decide the manner and intensity of our message?

I think as businesspeople, entrepreneurs, owners of corporations, parents, citizens, etc., its time we set our own policies on social platforms. If they don’t support free speech and set some acceptable norms, we have our company and employees take down the platform from our computers and phones. If the social media platforms don’t protect our free speech, then we need to ban together and not advertise there. What’s the point?

As I said previously, TikTok is not the only platform to make decisions that are not public knowledge as they say their algorithms are “proprietary” but my issue is if we don’t regulate or put in some type of controls of social media as we do traditional media to define free speech, then what is the end game? Who cares about Russian interference when the social platforms can do 1,000,000 times worse if not checked and can stack the cards anyway they want. I love hearing Mark Zuckerberg and others talk about the true democratization of people’s views and experiences. Is that event true?

I think its time that we as a business community, as parents as leaders drill down on these massive businesses that are defining free speech. I don’t know about you, but it scares the bejesus out of me that my kids are being fed content with no real understanding of who is deciding that and what are their motives? Sorry, but we all deserve better!