🔗 Share this article

As reported by a new study, the widely-used social media app has been observed to direct profiles of minors to adult videos after only a few taps.

Testing Approach

Global Witness created simulated profiles using a date of birth for a minor and activated the platform's content restriction feature, which is designed to limit exposure to sexually suggestive content.

Researchers discovered that TikTok suggested sexually charged search terms to seven test accounts that were created on clean phones with no previous activity.

Troubling Search Prompts

Keywords proposed under the "suggested searches" feature featured "provocative attire" and "very rude babes" – and then advanced to keywords such as "graphic sexual content".

In three cases of the accounts, the sexualized searches were proposed instantly.

Fast Track to Adult Material

After a "small number of clicks", the investigators encountered adult videos including revealing content to penetrative sex.

The organization stated that the content sought to avoid detection, often by displaying the content within an innocuous picture or video.

For one account, the process took two clicks after logging on: one tap on the search function and then another on the proposed query.

Compliance Requirements

The research entity, whose mandate includes researching digital platforms' effect on societal welfare, stated it carried out several experimental rounds.

The first group occurred before the activation of safeguarding regulations under the British online safety legislation on July 25th, and additional tests following the measures took effect.

Serious Findings

The organization noted that two videos included someone who seemed to be under 16 years old and had been submitted to the Internet Watch Foundation, which oversees harmful material involving minors.

The research organization claimed that the video platform was in non-compliance of the UK safety legislation, which requires tech companies to prevent children from viewing inappropriate videos such as pornography.

Government Position

A spokesperson for Ofcom, which is responsible for regulating the act, commented: "We acknowledge the work behind this study and will analyze its findings."

Official requirements for following the law state that tech companies that pose a medium or high risk of presenting inappropriate videos must "modify their programming" to remove harmful content from young users' timelines.

TikTok's content guidelines forbid explicit material.

Company Reaction

The video platform stated that after being contacted from the organization, it had removed the problematic material and made changes to its recommendation system.

"Upon learning of these claims, we took immediate action to investigate them, remove content that violated our policies, and introduce upgrades to our search suggestion feature," said a company representative.