The posting of what has been described as “inappropriate content” on TikTok in February of this year has led local lobby group, Hear The Children’s Cry (HTCC), to partner with the entertainment platform in a bid to protect the nation’s children from such content.

HTCC, in a statement on Sunday, said the aim of the partnership is to build a “positive and supportive digital community in Jamaica”. It said this was a first not just in Jamaica but the wider the Caribbean.

Child Advocate and founder of HTCC, Betty Ann Blaine, said the partnership followed “increasing national concern about inappropriate and exploitative content of children on digital platforms”.

She explained that after the surfacing locally in early February of a video that was in violation of TikTok’s Community Guidelines, the set of norms and common code of conduct that provide for a safe and welcoming space for everyone on the platform, she committed to do something about it.

Blaine explained further that as part of the collaboration, TikTok will establish a direct email channel with HTCC to the platform’s Trust and Safety team to be able to immediately report content that violates TikTok’s Community Guidelines.

“We promised the Jamaican people that we would not only reach out to TikTok, but would work with them for the effective protection of our youths,” Blaine said.

She added that “I am happy to share that we found the TikTok team more than willing to work with us. We were impressed with how swiftly they took action to investigate the inappropriate content we reported, and their unwavering commitment to building a positive community”.

Meanwhile, Tom Lehmann, TikTok’s Public Policy Manager for Latin America & the Caribbean, explained that “TikTok’s mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy, and as a part of that, we are committed to making TikTok a safe and inclusive space for everyone, especially young people, while protecting against industry-wide challenges around platform misuse”.

“We recognize how important it is to work together with organisations and other stakeholders to empower young people and keep them safe on and off the platform. With this partnership, HTCC will be able to quickly report content that violates our Community Guidelines. We look forward to working with HTCC in this and other capacities going forward,” Lehmann said.

Blaine disclosed that last week, TikTok provided the HTCC team with virtual training on how to interact most effectively with the Community Partner Channel. This included briefing on TikTok’s industry-leading policies and tools.

“We are looking forward with TikTok, to addressing online safety issues, and fostering a safe and positive online environment for our community,” she said.