Tech

TikTok search results are reported to be flooded with misinformation


While TikTok is no stranger to against misinformation, the problem could be worse than you think. Like AP reportInternet trust researchers at NewsGuard have published One report claims that nearly 20 percent of search results sampled for major news topics include misinformation. The bogus claims cover topics ranging from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to a COVID-19 vaccine and the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

NewsGuard also found that typing innocuous queries can lead to recommendations filled with misinformation. Start searching for “climate change” and TikTok will provide searches related to climate science denial, for example. Results were also more polarized than through Google, according to the researchers, with 12 of the top 20 results for the 2022 US midterm exam including highly partisan statements.

We have asked TikTok for comment. In a statement to NewsGuard, a spokesperson said the social media giant does not allow “harmful misinformation” and withdrew it from the platform.

TikTok has made a point of eliminating misinformation. It took down nearly 350,000 videos such as in relation to the 2020 US presidential election later that year. The company uses AI to screen videos and automatically pulls flagged clips or sends them to human moderators. The concern, as you might have guessed, is that this approach doesn’t catch enough offenders – especially those who avoid using potentially AI-warning keywords.

The standout misinformation could be, however, that the report comes at a bad time for TikTok. CEO Vanessa Pappas will testify today along with other company executives at a Senate hearing exploring the influence of social media on national security. The findings won’t necessarily come out during the hearing, but they could put further pressure on TikTok to stop the lies.

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