TikTok Algorithm Promotes Videos About Suicide, Self-Harm to Vulnerable Teens: Report

A new report revealed that the algorithms for TikTok are promoting videos about suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders to vulnerable teens. This report came as the Senate moved to ban federal employees from installing the app on government-owned devices.

According to the Associated Press, the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate conducted a research on this. Its researchers created TikTok accounts with fictional team personas in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

With those fictional profiles, they watched and "liked" videos about self-harm and eating disorders. The researchers found that within minutes, TikTok recommended videos about not just losing weight but also about self-harm and even videos containing discussions on suicide.

The videos ranged from showing images of models and idealized body types to images of razor blades. The fictional accounts using names that suggested a particular vulnerability to eating disorders were fed even more harmful content. Some of the accounts' names included the words "lose weight."

According to Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO Imran Ahmed, going through TikTok was "like being stuck in a hall of distorted mirrors where you're constantly being told you're ugly, you're not good enough, maybe you should kill yourself."

He added that the platform is constantly giving out the "most dangerous possible messages to young people." Another nonprofit, Fairplay, also blasted TikTok, saying the Chinese-owned company failed to protect its young users from harmful content, as well as for its aggressive data collection.

Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, noted that "all of these harms are linked to the business model," adding that it does not make any difference what the social media platform is.

Golin said this becomes a problem for children and teenagers who spend more time online and are more vulnerable to bullying and peer pressure.

Senate Passes Bill to Ban Federal Employees From Using TikTok With Government-Owned Devices

While nonprofit organizations are finding trouble with TikTok's algorithm, the U.S. government is also wary of the app being used for espionage purposes.

According to Reuters, the Senate voted and passed a bill late Wednesday that would not allow the app to be installed on government-issued devices such as phones and tablets.

The app, which the Chinese company ByteDance owns, could allegedly be used to pass on data to the Chinese government, posing massive security risks.

The bill still has to pass the House of Representatives before getting to President Joe Biden. Once Biden signs it, it will become law, and TikTok will officially be banned from all government devices.

TikTok has said that the security concerns were fueled by misinformation and told lawmakers that they were open to discussing these concerns.

TikTok Also Promoting Election Misinformation

TikTok has also allegedly been used to propagate misinformation about the elections, as users posted videos that lacked context, which often leads to various misinformation concerns.

CNET revealed that a misleading 30-second TikTok video has been making the rounds, and it showed a Washington state election worker collecting ballots with a bag.

The video was used to spread misinformation that the poll worker was closing the ballot box early and that what the worker was doing was illegal.

However, fact-checkers have debunked the viral clip, saying that the poll worker was only trying to get voters to turn in their ballots on time because the polls were closing.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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