Study reveals TikTok algorithms actively censor criticism against Chinese government

August 12, 2024 TruthUSA

Research from Rutgers University suggests that heavy TikTok users tend to have a more positive outlook on China, indicating potential indoctrination.

According to a recent study, TikTok, a video-sharing app owned by China, utilizes algorithms to suppress content highlighting China’s human rights violations in order to influence the opinions of its users.

Researchers at Rutgers University and the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) found that TikTok’s algorithms actively downplay content critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) while promoting pro-China propaganda and irrelevant distractions.

The platform uses content creators linked to the CCP to suppress discussions on sensitive topics such as ethnic genocide and human rights abuses.

In recent years, TikTok has faced scrutiny for potentially posing a national security threat by manipulating the minds of American teenagers. The Chinese parent company, Bytedance, is under pressure from the CCP to provide data on U.S. users.

President Joe Biden recently signed a bipartisan bill requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban from U.S. app stores and web-hosting services.

The study also noted that TikTok users, especially heavy users, showed a shift in their attitudes towards China, suggesting successful indoctrination based on a psychological survey.

According to the report, users may unintentionally absorb biased narratives on TikTok due to targeted information and engineered environments that limit free speech, leading to distorted perceptions of global issues.

A spokesperson from TikTok dismissed the findings of the study, calling it a flawed experiment intended to reach a predetermined conclusion.

The researchers designed accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to mimic American teenage users and tested the platforms’ algorithms with search keywords related to CCP human rights abuses.

The administrations of Trump and Biden have condemned the CCP’s actions in Xinjiang and Tibet as genocide and crimes against humanity.

On June 4, 1989, the Chinese regime ordered a violent crackdown on student protesters and civilians at Tiananmen Square, a topic considered taboo in China and Hong Kong.

The study analyzed over 3,400 videos from search results using keywords related to CCP abuses and classified them as pro-China, anti-China, neutral, or irrelevant.

Results showed that TikTok had significantly less anti-China content compared to YouTube and Instagram, with a bias towards pro-China narratives, especially on controversial topics like Xinjiang and Tiananmen.

Furthermore, TikTok’s algorithm displayed favoritism towards pro-China content, indicating potential manipulation and bias unique to the platform.

Survey

The researchers also surveyed 1,214 American TikTok users to gauge their perceptions of China based on their app usage.

Heavy TikTok users exhibited a notable increase in positive views of the CCP’s human rights records, indicating potential psychological manipulation and alignment with the CCP’s objectives.

The study suggested the creation of a Civic Trust to identify and address platforms that manipulate user perceptions, especially if they threaten democratic values.

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