New study alleges Chinese government is using TikTok to influence U.S. users

Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a co-author of the TikTok bill, says a new study supports concerns that China is using algorithmic manipulation to influence users' beliefs and behaviors.

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[monicarenee]

Never understood the TikTok obsession. Continuing to stay off it

[los]

Just pointing this out. In China, if you’re a minor, TikTok only shows science based videos that are more geared towards educating. In the US the algorithm is designed to show you the most viral and interacted with videos. In a separate study, a survey showed that when kids in China are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they say things like astronaut, engineer, doctors, etc. but if you ask kids in the US the same question, they say “influencer.”

[Useryt]

I refuse to download TikTok just because it’s Chinese ccp backed

[mrjp]

Why do we use TikTok here in the states when Chinese government don’t allow their citizens don’t. That’s insanity

[CarmelaPattillo]

I don't see any of this stuff they are talking about on my TikTok account. I see recipes, people doing trends, etc. Mostly Americans.

[weroliera]

This has been going on too long. They should already have been shut down.

[briannafrye_]

So other social media’s don’t do this? Everything online has some sort of influence behind it.

[David-ygls]

New studies: Face Book and Google have been doing this for decades now.

[goldwing]

The news media is just upset that breaking news stories always go to social media first. They don't like the fact that news stations are slowly becoming irrelevant. The death of actual good journalism doesn't help either.

[itsvictoroyedeji]

Here’s my take: China did something similar with US prisoners during the Korean War. By the time those POWs came back to the US, they were “sympathetic” to China and said the “US wasn’t perfect, either”.

That’s always been China’s game plan — to justify why they do what they do. However, they do create a TON of value for consumers (cheap manufacturing labor, tech brilliance, etc) that it’s hard to ignore them.

So if people are going to use their services…people are going to get sympathetic messages towards their cause. That’s the catch.

And finally, the “discourse” was always there. It was there pre-TikTok, folks said that about FB in prior elections. All social media does is AMPLIFY discourse that’s always been in people. If the leaders at top treat people fairly and don’t cater to their elites, there would be less discourse.

[paulrivoire]

All media are doing the same ... all coming from america are doing the same. You are all hypocrats.

[flemlion]

TikTok isn't different from X or Facebook in that respect, just the people using it is different

[bengone]

Kind of reminds me of what Twitter-X, Facebook, and Google, also does for anyone with money to spend.

[graphitepencil]

In India we don't use tik tok.our government has already deleted every Chinese apps 😂😂😂

[ion_onthebeach]

China (through TikTok) is Google, Amazon, Facebook, Fox, Control Media Group, and Capital Funding.

[MrPeterbs]

And right on cue, the Chinese bots show up to cast doubt on the story.

[trustoldpaths]

Technology has enriched our lives so much

[twelve]

Never got any Chinese propaganda on my feed

[inkmutation]

Why use an app from a government that doesn't allow their own citizens to have such freedom of information. Think about it

[SeekingBecca]

YOUR FYP IS WHAT YOU BUILT of IT, if you don’t search it you won’t see it . I’ve never seen anything
Chinese in 3 yrs on my FYP.