TikTok's 'Dark Side' Exposé Spurs Musk To Call App 'Extremely Destructive'

Elon Musk has labeled ByteDance-owned TikTok as “extremely destructive” after sharing a report published on the platform’s negative impact on teenage users. 

What Happened: Musk voiced concern about the ill effects of TikTok after sharing a screenshot of a report on Twitter which documented how feeds of fictitious 13-year-old users became flooded with disturbing clips about topics such as self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide, stating that it was “extremely destructive if accurate.” 

See Also: Former ByteDance Executive Says China Had ‘Supreme’ Access To TikTok Data In Lawsuit

The Wall Street Journal reported the research in question, suggesting that the content teenagers see on social media can have adverse psychological effects on them. 

Two-thirds of American teenagers use TikTok, with an average viewer spending 80 minutes daily on the app. The report recommended that TikTok provide full transparency of its algorithms and rules enforcement. If not, regulators must compel the platform to do so. 

Why It’s Important: TikTok is under intense global scrutiny due to legislators’ and regulators’ concerns about the app presenting national security risks and having a significant influence on young users, which could lead to the app’s ban in some of its largest markets. 

Earlier this year, the platform announced a new approach to mitigate its addictive nature and the impact on minors by limiting the screen time for users under 18 to 60 minutes and bringing the “screen time dashboard to Family Pairing.” 

However, the study shared by Musk suggests that the app experience for users still needs to be improved. 

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