In nearly every congress hearing on big tech, be it on privacy, monopoly, or in the case of last week’s TikTok hearing on national security, at least one lawmaker is seen to be concerned about something along with the lines of “But think of the kids!”
In a recent hearing, a number of officials, including New Jersey Democrat Frank Melone, cited studies demonstrating that TikTok disseminates offensive material for children and teenagers. The site sends content about self-harm and eating disorders to children and young people every 2.6 minutes, or every eight minutes, according to a new study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The concern is furthered by the fact that TikTok is a popular platform choice among young users. According to a 2022 Pew Research Survey, the app was utilized by 67 percent of the teens polled, followed by YouTube.
Callum Hood, research director at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said in a press statement “Without legally mandated security through design, transparency, and accountability, the algorithm will continue to put vulnerable users at risk.”
Although, Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok noted that these are the issues that almost all major social media platforms have faced in recent years. These concerns are echoes of complaints that Meta has made in the past, particularly in connection to Instagram.
When it comes to commenting on how harmful could a platform be to children, it often seems more of an attention-seeking tactic, highlighting some of the most common worri
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