TikTok Reverses Ban on Indie Filmmakers After AI Moderation Errors

TikTok has quietly reinstated monetization for three independent creators after its automated moderation system wrongly flagged their original work as unoriginal. The company’s AI tools had removed them from the Creator Rewards Program, cutting off their income.

Kory Mann, an actress turned filmmaker based in Los Angeles, first raised the alarm. Her short film “When BFFs are TOO Close” went viral earlier this month with over 2.6 million views. TikTok’s moderation system labeled it “low-quality reaction content,” despite Mann writing, directing, and starring in the film. She appealed with behind-the-scenes photos and editing proof, only to receive an email saying her account was “permanently disqualified” for featuring “unoriginal content.”

After sharing her story publicly, Mann heard from other creators hit by similar bans. Dana and the Wolf, who produce a web drama about their polyamorous relationship, and animator Brandon Jamar Scott had also been booted from the program. Their accounts hold 46 million and 9 million likes, respectively.

“Large corporations are using faulty AI systems to keep emerging indie filmmakers out of Hollywood,” Mann told Deadline. “They take away our only way to make money on the platform and starve us out.”

When Deadline asked TikTok about Mann’s case, the company reversed the ban. Dana and the Wolf and Scott were also restored. TikTok declined to explain why the creators were penalized, saying it aims to make appeals easy—though Mann described a frustrating process. Hours before her revenue returned, support told her she didn’t qualify for the program.

TikTok says moderating content at scale is complex and that it keeps investing in better technology. For these creators, the fix came only after public pressure.