TikTok has announced that it is altering its “For You” algorithm in order to prevent users from harmful and problematic content.
The new algorithm will stop users from consuming videos in clusters that are too similar to each other, attempting to prevent people from falling into rabbit holes in the app that could be harmful. The app will now steer users away from videos if it detects that too many in a row have been viewed that could create negative experiences.
Topics specified in a list of extreme or negative videos include depression, breakups, and dieting.
The app announced that other features will be coming in the future as well, including an option to allow users to specify the content that is not shown to them. This way, users can decide if there are certain hashtags or words that they do not want to see. At the moment, users can only flag videos in their feed that they don’t want to see, rather than prevent it from being on the feed.
Focus has been placed recently on popular social media apps and their effects on mental health and wellbeing, especially following revelations that Instagram is harmful for teenagers.
Instagram and Facebook come under fire a within the past couple of months following leaked reports by a company whistleblower. The whistleblower leaked internal research that proved how the app can harm users, especially teenagers, and that company executives were aware. The whistleblower said that the platforms have always chosen profit over wellbeing and safety.
TikTok has also been scrutinized for its algorithm and harm to young users.
The company said in a statement that it understands that “too much of anything,” no matter the subject matter, does not fit with what the app aims to create, which is a diverse experience of global discovery.
An investigation conducted by the Wall Street Journal found that TikTok pushes users, especially teenager users, towards content about sex and drug use.
TikTok now has more than 1 billion users monthly, making it one of the most popular apps worldwide. Its user base is also extremely popular amongst teenagers and young adults.
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