Many international locations have already banned TikTok for varied causes, together with the danger of espionage by China, manipulation of public opinion, and the endangerment of younger customers attributable to violent content material. In 2024, the European Fee started authorized proceedings in opposition to TikTok. Throughout the week of 11 March, the French Nationwide Meeting is ready to look at the creation of a board of inquiry to look at the psychological results of TikTok on minors, trying particularly on the threat of suicidal behaviour and ideation.
Banned in January 2025 within the US, TikTok continues to be probably the most influential platforms on the planet, with 1.5 billion lively customers worldwide and 15 million month-to-month customers in France. One in two kids in France aged 11-12 has a TikTok account, in response to Arcom (the French Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication), though the minimal age for signing up is 13. Well-liked with youthful generations, it’s shaping their relationship with info and more and more competing with conventional media. However behind its viral challenges and common movies, there’s a rising concern: has TikTok turn into an accelerator of misinformation and a covert instrument of affect? What’s the influence of its algorithmic mannequin on important considering and democracy?
Analysis exhibits that TikTok is a breeding floor for misinformation. A examine performed between January and March 2020 discovered that 20% to 32% of movies about Covid-19 shared on the platform contained false or deceptive info. In 2022, an evaluation performed by Newsguard confirmed these findings, exhibiting that 20% of reports movies on TikTok contained deceptive info.
Not like conventional media retailers, the place sources are verified and fact-checking instruments are used, TikTok depends on an opaque and extremely personalised algorithm designed to maximise consumer engagement, with out regard for the reliability of content material, and with out info prioritisation or content material labelling. The extra viral a video is, the extra it’s promoted, no matter whether or not it’s true or not.
TikTok versus Twitter and Fb: What are the Particular Traits of Faux Information Propagation
Opposite to Fb and Twitter, the place viral attain depends primarily on guide sharing and consumer interactions, TikTok instantly promotes content material to a large viewers with out requiring lively intervention.
A examine by the Integrity Institute confirmed that TikTok amplifies false info greater than its rivals, though X (Twitter) is understood to unfold false info six occasions sooner than true info. This dynamic fuels a phenomenon of elevated misinformation the place false info circulates sooner and extra broadly than verified info.
TikTok’s participating short-form video format is an asset for viral attain, however a hindrance to important evaluation. Not like YouTube, Fb or X (Twitter), which permit long-form movies, detailed articles or dialogue threads, TikTok imposes a paradigm of pace, with movies usually lasting between 15 and 60 seconds.
Penalties :
- No time to dig deeper or contextualise info
- Customers eat passively with out checking
- A putting piece of faux information turns into extra credible than an in depth denial.
Steady Scrolling and an Algorithm that Promotes Misinformation
TikTok’s infinite scroll, the place movies play one after one other with out interruption, encourages passive consumption of content material. This format limits the time out there for reflection and verification of knowledge, thus amplifying the viral attain of unverified movies.
This dynamic encourages computational propaganda i.e. using algorithms, automation and anonymity to control public opinion and massively disseminate deceptive content material. In sensible phrases, automated bots can be utilized to share movies in a coordinated method, giving a misunderstanding of common assist. That is how infinite scrolling turns into a strategic lever for the large-scale dissemination of disinformation.
In Could 2024, the NGO World Witness demonstrated the platform’s lack of ability to detect ads containing false info, specific throughout election campaigns, regardless of an overhaul of its moderation in October 2024 to assist AI.
TikTok additionally makes use of subtle audio methods to control opinion, thereby reinforcing the unfold of misinformation. By amplifying emotion and viral attain, audio content material facilitates the mass dissemination of misinformation.
Younger Folks, a Prime Goal
In response to a Statista survey, performed between April 2023 and March 2024, 69% of French adults below the age of 30 recurrently use TikTok, demonstrating the app’s rising affect on this age group. On the identical time, an Ifop examine revealed that 69% of 18-24 yr olds imagine a minimum of one scientific falsehood, illustrating the dimensions of the problem when it comes to info literacy.
Nevertheless, TikTok has a significant affect on the perceptions of youthful generations, significantly because of the absence of any dialogue about concepts. Like different platforms, its algorithm tends to accentuate the “filter bubble” impact, trapping customers in info environments that consolidate their beliefs by providing them content material that aligns with these beliefs.
This phenomenon has already been highlighted in research trying on the position of social media within the radicalisation of younger folks. This analysis exhibits that jihadist teams exploit flaws in algorithms to unfold their ideologies by means of highly effective emotional content material.
Lastly, TikTok has broadly shared viral challenges that straight endanger the lives of younger customers. Examples embody the notorious “Blackout Problem” which entails holding one’s breath till passing out, and the “Skullbreaker Problem”, which entails tripping a good friend, inflicting them to fall and endure severe accidents.
Does TikTok Endanger Democracy?
Accused of serving China’s pursuits, TikTok is now within the authorities’ sights. In July 2023, a French Senate report denounced the dangers of espionage and manipulation by means of knowledge assortment by ByteDance, its Chinese language mum or dad firm.
Extra just lately (February 2025), the Viginum report revealed that international actors had exploited the platform’s moderation flaws to affect the Romanian presidential election.
Internationally, a number of international locations have determined to limit or ban TikTok.
Three most important causes clarify this choice:
Nationwide Safety and Digital Sovereignty
The United States banned TikTok in January 2025 attributable to considerations that consumer knowledge may very well be accessed by Chinese language authorities. India had already taken this measure in 2020 amid border tensions with China.
Preserving Cultural Values
International locations comparable to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal and Jordan have blocked TikTok, deeming sure content material inappropriate or more likely to trigger social and non secular tensions.
Defending Younger Folks and Addressing Violent Content material
Albania blocked the app in 2024, accusing it of encouraging harassment amongst younger folks, and turning into the primary nation on the continent to fully block TikTok (for one yr). The sharing of content material linked to terrorism led to Somalia’s choice to ban the app.
What are the Choices for Regulating TikTok in France and the EU?
In response to rising considerations about TikTok, France and the European Union have adopted measures to control using the platform. In March 2023, France banned the set up of “leisure” purposes, together with TikTok, on the skilled gadgets of civil servants, citing dangers to nationwide safety.
Right here’s a full shot of the group of TikTok creators. pic.twitter.com/9NBBNeL6mC
— Kalhan (@KalhanR) March 22, 2023
On the identical time, the European Union launched the Digital Companies Act (DSA), imposing higher obligations on on-line platforms when it comes to the transparency of their algorithms and knowledge storage, and offering for penalties of as much as 6% of the corporate’s annual worldwide gross sales within the occasion of non-compliance.
In February 2024, the European Fee instituted formal proceedings to evaluate whether or not TikTok had breached the Digital Companies Act, with specific regard to the safety of minors and promoting transparency. These are the second proceedings of their variety below the brand new European guidelines, following these [concerning X (Twitter)].
@bbcnews There was numerous footage exhibiting devastation in Myanmar following Friday’s highly effective earthquake, however this one is an AI-generated pretend. #Myanmar #Earthquake #Quake #Thailand #Tremor #Harm #BBCVerify #AI #Debunk #FactCheck #BBCNews ♬ authentic sound – BBC Information
The outcomes haven’t but been printed and there’s no mounted time period for these proceedings. The DSA provides the Fee the ability to impose monetary penalties. Nevertheless, a complete ban on TikTok in Europe could be an excessive measure – not foreseen by the DSA – and would require complicated political decision-making.
The European Union is at present in search of to strike a fragile steadiness between defending customers – particularly younger folks – and upholding digital freedoms.
This text first appeared on eflexscience.univ and was written by Fabrice Lollia, Physician of Info and Communication Sciences, Université Gustave Eiffel.
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