Within minutes, the wildly popular platform was recommending videos about losing weight and self-harm, including ...
...ones featuring pictures of models and idealized body types, images of razor blades and discussions of suicide.
U.s. lawmakers look to block app over China spying concerns.
TikTok ban
“It’s 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,” said ...
...the center’s CEO Imran Ahmed, whose organization has offices in the U.S. and U.K. “It is literally pumping the most dangerous possible messages to young people.”
But social media critics say the same algorithms that promote content about a particular sports team, hobby or dance craze can send users down a rabbit hole of harmful content.
5:39Going viral: Health misinformation spreading on social media such as TikTok.
He added that TikTok is not the only platform failing to protect young users from harmful content and aggressive data collection.
“All of these harms are linked to the business model,” Golin said.
“It doesn’t make any difference what the social media platform is.”
TikTok prohibits users who are younger than 13, and its official rules prohibit videos that encourage eating disorders or suicide.
“We regularly consult with health experts, remove violations of our policies, and provide access to supportive resources for ...
...anyone in need,” said the statement from TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance Ltd., a Chinese company now based in Singapore.
In some cases, researchers found, young TikTok users were using coded language about eating disorders in an effort to evade TikTok’s content moderation.
A proposal before Congress would impose new rules limiting the data that social media platforms can collect regarding young ...
...users and create a new office within the Federal Trade Commission focused on protecting young social media users ‘ privacy.
“Data is the raw material that big tech uses to track, to manipulate, and to traumatize young people in our country every single day,” Markey said.