TikTok has been in the news a lot lately, and not for very good reason. ByteDance, the company that created the app, is accused of violating the privacy of user information and manipulating the “virality” of certain broadcasts with an algorithm that could not be more transparent. social network big literally in danger of being banned banned in the US and Europe. The leaders of the company must restore their image and show all their goodwill. The platform changed its rules a month ago, banning any videos that spread misinformation about climate change. This change takes effect today.
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From now on, any videos that spread misinformation or “contrary to deep scientific consensus” on TikTok will be deleted and/or banned from the platform. Members of the community will still be free to post and discuss videos about climate change, but the smarts trying to circumvent this ban are unlikely to turn into viral sensations. All research on this important topic directing users to “authoritative information”. Conspiracy theories will therefore be suppressed by the algorithm.
TikTok is deleting videos that spread misinformation about climate change
Will this measure be sufficient? Reclaiming an outdated trust on TikTok? It will certainly take much more to convince European and American officials that the Chinese platform is harmless. The United States has shown its distrust of the social network for several years, and in France, the Senate has launched an investigation to assess the dangers of the company’s omnipotent algorithm, which has the power to make everyone addicted. .
Clearly, climate change isn’t the only topic of provocative conspiracy sites on social networks. Also, according to this NewsGuard study published in September 2022, TikTok is a powerful disinformation spreader regardless of its subject.
