Opinion: Faux Information, Endangering Younger Individuals: Ought to TikTok be Banned?

Many international locations have already banned TikTok for numerous causes, together with the danger of espionage by China, manipulation of public opinion, and the endangerment of younger customers as a consequence of 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 about to look at the creation of a board of inquiry to look at the psychological results of TikTok on minors, wanting particularly on the threat of suicidal behaviour and ideation.

Banned in January 2025 within the US, TikTok continues to be some of the influential platforms on this planet, with 1.5 billion energetic 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 My face (the French Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication), although the minimal age for signing up is 13. Standard with youthful generations, it’s shaping their relationship with data and more and more competing with conventional media. However behind its viral challenges and fashionable movies, there’s a rising concern: has TikTok turn out to be an accelerator of misinformation and a covert device of affect? What’s the affect of its algorithmic mannequin on important pondering and democracy?

Analysis reveals that TikTok is a breeding floor for misinformation. A examine carried out between January and March 2020 discovered that 20% to 32% of movies about Covid-19 shared on the platform contained false or deceptive data. In 2022, an evaluation carried out by Newsguard confirmed these findings, displaying that 20% of reports movies on TikTok contained deceptive data.

Not like conventional media shops, the place sources are verified and fact-checking instruments are used, TikTok depends on an opaque and extremely personalised algorithm designed to maximise person engagementwith out regard for the reliability of content material, and with out data 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 handbook sharing and person interactions, TikTok instantly promotes content material to a large viewers with out requiring energetic intervention.

A examine by the Integrity Institute confirmed that TikTok amplifies false data greater than its rivals, although X (Twitter) is understood to unfold false data six instances sooner than true data. This dynamic fuels a phenomenon of elevated misinformation the place false data circulates sooner and extra broadly than verified data.

TikTok’s participating short-form video format is an asset for viral attainhowever 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 velocity, with movies usually lasting between 15 and 60 seconds.

Penalties :

• No time to dig deeper or contextualise data
• 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 obtainable for reflection and verification of data, 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 fashionable assist. That is how infinite scrolling turns into a strategic lever for the large-scale dissemination of disinformation.

In Could 2024, the NGO International Witness demonstrated the platform’s incapability to detect ads containing false data, specific throughout election campaigns, regardless of an overhaul of its moderation in October 2024 to assist AI.

TikTok additionally makes use of refined 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 Individuals, a Prime Goal

Based on a Statista surveycarried out between April 2023 and March 2024, 69% of French adults below the age of 30 often 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 12 months olds consider no less than one scientific falsehood, illustrating the dimensions of the problem by way of data literacy.

Nevertheless, TikTok has a serious 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 data environments that consolidate their beliefs by providing them content material that aligns with these beliefs.

This phenomenon has already been highlighted in research wanting on the position of social media within the radicalisation of younger individuals. This analysis reveals that jihadist teams exploit flaws in algorithms to unfold their ideologies by highly effective emotional content material.

Lastly, TikTok has broadly shared viral challenges that instantly endanger the lives of younger customers. Examples embrace the notorious “Blackout Problem” which includes holding one’s breath till passing out, and the “Skullbreaker Problem”which includes tripping a good friend, inflicting them to fall and undergo 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 information assortment by ByteDance, its Chinese language dad or mum firm.

Extra lately (February 2025), the Viginum report revealed that overseas actors had exploited the platform’s moderation flaws to affect the Romanian presidential election.

The world over, a number of international locations have determined to limit or ban TikTok.

Three fundamental causes clarify this resolution:

Nationwide Safety and Digital Sovereignty

The United States banned TikTok in January 2025 as a consequence of issues that person information might be accessed by Chinese language authorities. India had already taken this measure in 2020 amid border tensions with China.

Preserving Cultural Values

Nations resembling 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 Individuals and Addressing Violent Content material

Albania blocked the app in 2024, accusing it of encouraging harassment amongst younger individuals, and turning into the primary nation on the continent to utterly block TikTok (for one 12 months). The sharing of content material linked to terrorism led to Somalia’s resolution to ban the app.

What are the Choices for Regulating TikTok in France and the EU?

In response to rising issues 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 units 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 better obligations on on-line platforms by way of the transparency of their algorithms and information 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 form below the brand new European guidelines, following these (regarding X (Twitter)).

@bbcnews There was plenty of footage displaying 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 fastened time period for these proceedings. The DSA offers the Fee the facility to impose monetary penalties. Nevertheless, a complete ban on TikTok in Europe can be an excessive measure – not foreseen by the DSA – and would require advanced political decision-making.

The European Union is at present in search of to strike a fragile stability between defending customers – particularly younger individuals – and upholding digital freedoms.

This text first appeared on eflexscience.univ and was written by Fabrice LolliaPhysician of Data and Communication Sciences, Gustave Eiffel College.

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