By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, August 13: A recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) at Rutgers University has highlighted issues regarding TikTok’s approach to content related to human rights abuses in China.
According to the research, videos condemning or critically discussing human rights abuse issues in China are less prominent on TikTok compared to rival platforms like Instagram and YouTube. This disparity suggests that TikTok users in the US may receive an incomplete or skewed perspective when searching for terms linked to China’s controversial history.
The study involved creating 24 new accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, simulating the experience of American teenagers joining these social media platforms. Researchers searched for terms associated with Chinese human rights abuses, such as “Tiananmen,” “Tibet,” and “Uyghur.” TikTok’s algorithm displayed a higher percentage of positive, neutral, or irrelevant content than its competitors, returning fewer “anti-China” results. These results were defined by the researchers as content highlighting issues like the Tiananmen Square massacre, Tibetan liberation, or the plight of Uyghurs in East Turkistan (Xinjiang).
Joel Finkelstein, NCRI’s director and chief science officer, noted that TikTok effectively crowds out accurate information about China’s human rights record. The study found that individuals spending three or more hours daily on TikTok were more likely to hold positive views about China’s human rights situation compared to non-users, suggesting that the platform’s content curation could influence public perception.
This study builds on previous NCRI research indicating that TikTok’s algorithm might amplify or suppress content based on alignment with Chinese government interests. This earlier report has been cited by U.S. politicians who argue that TikTok poses a national security threat. However, TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, and other executives have repeatedly denied allegations of the app being used for Chinese propaganda. They have also taken legal action against the U.S. government to challenge the ban, arguing that the claims lack substantial evidence.
NCRI researchers analyzed over 3,400 videos related to terms like “Uyghur,” “Xinjiang,” “Tibet,” and “Tiananmen” across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. They reviewed the first 300 videos displayed for each keyword and categorized the content as pro-China, anti-China, neutral, or irrelevant. The classification process involved subjective judgment by human reviewers, which the researchers acknowledged as a potential source of bias.
The NCRI study raises important questions about the role of social media platforms in shaping public perception, especially concerning sensitive topics like human rights abuses. While TikTok disputes the study’s methodology and conclusions, the findings contribute to ongoing debates about the platform’s influence and potential risks to U.S. national security. Several countries have implemented bans or restrictions on TikTok due to privacy, security, or moral concerns. For instance, India which had its largest user banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps in June 2020 over privacy and security concerns following a military clash between the two countries.
