TikTok, the Chinese social network now famous throughout the world, seems to hide a disturbing paradox behind its appearance as an entertainment platform: on TikTok, a criminal is worth more than a good person or a professional.
Article Key Points
This is the harsh reality that emerges when analyzing the way in which the platform's algorithm rewards certain contents, preferring borderline or provocative ones over those by competent figures and serious professionals.
“On TikTok, the most disturbing paradox is that the crime is amplified while the truth is silenced;
a system in which provocation is worth more than professionalism and the algorithm rewards those who break the rules rather than those who defend them.”
The Power of the Algorithm: Does Crime Pay?
- TikTok algorithms, as many users experience, seem to favor videos that show questionable, provocative, or even criminal behavior. The logic that seems to guide this choice is simple: controversial content generates more interactions. More “like“, more comments, more views mean more exposure and, consequently, more money for the platform.
The problem, however, goes beyond simple virality. TikTok appears to systematically censor and block, or even delete, the profiles of experts, journalists and professionals who are trying to use the platform to shed light on these behaviors. If a “guappo” posts a video in which he exhibits criminal behavior or borderline activity, that video often remains intact, garnering millions of views. But if a professional, such as a journalist, reports that same video, he risks being blocked or censored.
The Injustice Behind the Guidelines
The problem becomes more acute when one tries to understand the rationale behind these decisions. TikTok justifies many of its choices through the application of so-called “community guidelines”. But these guidelines seem to be applied with a questionable criterion, hitting those who try to report or counter harmful content. This happens, despite the fact that Italian law establishes the right to report, protecting those who publicly expose illegal or controversial situations.
TikTok, on the other hand, appears to act in a way that protects those who generate engagement, even when that content is manifestly problematic. If it's a video of a “guy” who shows criminal behavior, is lleft online. But if a journalist or an expert uses it to report, here the guidelines intervene, removing the content or closing the profile.
A Paradox That Profits on Good Faith
The paradox is evident: TikTok not only promotes problematic content, but censors those who try to counter it. This scheme allows the platform to maintain an active audience, attracted by provocative content, but at the same time to hide behind its own guidelines to justify the removal of inconvenient content.
This strategy only increases the number of subscribers, attracting users interested in figures “uncomfortable” and "outside the box”, precisely because they generate high interactions. The emblematic example of Rita De Crescenzo, one of TikTok’s first viral figures, is just one of many who demonstrate how controversial figures can fuel the social network’s growth.
The Difficulty of Contacting TikTok
When trying to get answers or explanations from TikTok, frustration is inevitable. You rarely get a clear answer, and often it is simply stated that the video of the “guy” can remain on the platform while the video published by the journalist or expert does not comply with the guidelines. This behavior, in addition to being less than transparent, is a clear sign of the platform's disinterest in content that does not serve its main purpose: making numbers, generating engagement, and profiting off users.
The Future of TikTok: A Necessary Change?
What emerges from this analysis is a platform that, behind the appearance of an entertainment social network, hides a ruthless logic oriented exclusively towards profit. TikTok appears to have given up any pretense of social responsibility, preferring focus on content that, although questionable, generates profit at the expense of quality and truth.
If TikTok truly wants to become a responsible social network, a radical change in content management will be necessary. Authoritative figures, such as journalists, experts, local media, who try to counter the spread of illicit behavior, should be valued and protected, not censored. Otherwise, TikTok continues to be a place where illegality, provocation, and sensationalism take precedence over professionalism and integrity.
Article published on 21 September 2024 - 21:34
