Leaked documents have revealed that TikTok’s algorithm might be boosting users who are considered “attractive” and burying others who don’t fit classic standards of beauty. The revelation has become a hotbed of debate on discrimination and how such a practice might affect the diverse pool of users on the platform.
Leaked reports reveal that the guides internal to TikTok included promoting content from ‘attractive’ users. This would then mean an uptick in features with symmetrical features, clear skin, and other visible options and traits that make one’s video more likely to be shown-a setting that is popularly aspirational. The thing is, this process opens up a Pandora’s box concerning serious questions of fairness and its inclusive approach.
Moderators reportedly were instructed to strangle the viewability of posts from users labeled “unattractive.” That means a whole lot of overweight people and combinations of feature sets not frequently found on mainstream beauty billboards.
Documents detail how TikTok wanted to build a feed that is aesthetically beautiful, even going to what it costs to suppress people with disabilities and any others who don’t adversely fit into the paradigm of typical beauty. It goes on to be representative of how the platform takes its already problematic approach to representation.
For many creators, TikTok is not only a social media venue but also a medium of self-expression and communication with their audience. An anonymous creator decided to share her experience of living with this beauty-centric algorithm.
“I put my heart in my words and videos, and that’s what hurts because sometimes the message doesn’t get out due to how I’m looking,” she said. “I want to connect with people through my song, not just by how I’m supposed to look.”
This is a sentiment that most users will share when they feel that their content has been supressed by the bias of an algorithm. There is also an element of compulsion to live up to the standards of beauty, which can be very overwhelming for those trying to tell genuine stories and experiences.
These leaked documents suggest that TikTok’s strategy could have the unintended consequence of alienating a large portion of its user base, reducing the diversity of voices and perspectives on its platform.
According to experts, this would help make the online ecosystem most inclusive, an aspect that can be addressed by providing transparency, periodic auditing of algorithms, and making sure different data sets are considered for training. In working for fairness and inclusivity, TikTok could build a community where users feel valued and represented.
These revelations have now encouraged the advocacy groups to break their silence. In one such statement, the social media watchdog Oversight Project assailed the lack of transparency from TikTok on child safety: “These unredacted documents prove that TikTok knows exactly what it’s doing to our kids-and the rot goes all the way to the top.”
As the scrutiny piles on, bipartisan Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn have asked TikTok for all documents related to the safety of kids across the app. The letter insinuates a need for urgency in correcting the various issues and making sure that accountability is checked with the company’s practices.
TikTok has pushed back against the allegations, with spokesperson Alex Haurek saying the reports cherry-pick misleading quotes and take outdated documents out of context. But the damage may already be done: with the application continuing to grow in popularity-mostly among younger users-the need for transparency and accountability has never been greater.
As TikTok navigates this storm, the question is: how will it address these leaked documents? The ability to balance user engagement with protecting its most vulnerable audience-young users-is going to hold the key to its future.