TikTok is considered a controversial app. Starting out as a harmless dancing app, the service has allegedly become a fake news outlet. According to a report, that might be by design, as researchers claim that the app is designed to spread misinformation.
Many have called out the popular app in the past for letting rampant misinformation spread the way it currently does. If this report ends up being true, parents may want to stop their kids from downloading the app anytime soon.
Does TikTok spread misinformation on purpose?
According to a report from NewsGuard, 20% of TikTok videos that appear on searches contain fake news and misinformation, potentially affecting children and seniors. Obviously, this is more important than how much data the app uses, as misinformation can alter many people’s views.
Newsguard says the app’s search engine “is consistently feeding millions of young users health misinformation, including some claims that could be dangerous to users’ health.” With many people relying on the app for news, it’s troubling to see so much fake news when researching trending topics.
While there are some legitimate sources in the app, users also have to contend with some attempts at brainwashing simpletons. Hopefully, something is planned to fight all of this but fans shouldn’t get their hopes up since social media giants tend to be ignorant.
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TikTok responds
It seems the folks in charge of TikTok are aware of the report, claiming the app is strictly against misinformation. This could just be a fluff piece from the company but it seems that they don’t want to be associated with all this fake news.
A source tells CNN that its community guidelines are “make clear that we do not allow harmful misinformation, including medical misinformation, and we will remove it from the platform. We partner with credible voices to elevate authoritative content on topics related to public health, and partner with independent fact-checkers who help us to assess the accuracy of content.”
To play devil’s advocate, social media apps like Facebook and Twitter also tend to spread misinformation like wildfire. Frankly, it’s disappointing seeing people easily fall for some of the fake news being spread, especially if they’re fully-grown adults.