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New internal documents reveal that TikTok has known about the app’s potential dangers to teenagers and pre-teens.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
TikTok executives were acutely aware of the potential dangers the app could cause to teens but appeared unconcerned, even though the company’s own internal research validated the fears child safety advocates have been raising for years. Those are the top-line takeaways from a trove of secret documents that NPR and Kentucky Public Radio have uncovered. To learn more, we’re joined by NPR tech correspondent Bobby Allyn. Hi, Bobby.
BOBBY ALLYN, BYLINE: Hey, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So let’s dig in. Like, tell us what you’ve learned after going through these documents.
ALLYN: Yeah, you know, there’s been a lot of troubling new stuff uncovered here, but let me start with three big highlights. First was just how much TikTok knows about how potentially addictive the app can be. The company’s research found that kids who watched 260 videos – you know, these really short secondslong videos – can start forming a habit. They get hooked. And state authorities say this can happen in as fast as 35 minutes.
A second big revelation was something many people have suspected, you know, but, you know, didn’t really have exact proof of, but now we have it. The documents confirmed that TikTok gives a huge boost to users it deems attractive. TikTok’s documents showed it actually changed its algorithm to demote people it viewed as not attractive.
And finally, the document zeroed in on TikTok’s time limit tool. It’s a way to give kids a nudge to say, hey, guys, you’ve been on here for a while. Maybe take a break, right? TikTok touted this as a way to reduce screen time for kids. But in internal documents, TikTok admitted the real goal was to improve public trust in the company via positive media coverage, not actually trying to get kids to put their phones down.
RASCOE: So these seem like some big revelations that TikTok would likely want to hide. How did you get your hands on these?
ALLYN: Yeah, sure. Well, we – you know, these bombshells about TikTok came about in a pretty mundane way. It was all because of a clerical error, OK? But let’s back up for a moment. Last week, 14 states sued TikTok over child safety concerns, and these suits came about after a two-year investigation into the company. And as the attorney generals were putting together the suits, they were drawing from reams of internal documents they obtained from TikTok, and the most damning material was redacted.
But, Ayesha, there was one big problem. In Kentucky, the redactions didn’t work. Our colleague Sylvia Goodman at Kentucky Public Radio first noticed that if you just copy and paste the blacked-out paragraphs and put it into, like, a Word document or something, you can see all the redacted stuff, all this highly confidential material. So then we spent some time just going through every single redaction and taking a look with our own eyes at all of these TikTok secrets.
RASCOE: And so what did TikTok say about these disclosures?
ALLYN: You know, they said it was irresponsible for us to report on material that is now under a court seal. And a TikTok spokesman said the material cherry-picks misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent the company’s commitment to safety.
RASCOE: Well, how much of these insights apply just to TikTok versus the practices of most social media apps?
ALLYN: Yeah, you know, that’s a really good point. And the short answer is, Look, TikTok isn’t alone here. Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube – you name the social media app, and you can bet they’re courting young people and trying to keep them engaged, right? This is the attention economy. All these apps are competing with one another. But at the end of the day, it’s advertising that pays the bills for these companies, so they’re trying to keep everyone’s eyeballs on the app. So it shouldn’t be surprising that social media companies are fighting fiercely here with each other, but what’s really striking, Ayesha, is the company’s inaction despite being aware of all the ways in which the app can potentially harm young people.
RASCOE: That’s NPR’s Bobby Allyn. Thank you so much for your reporting.
ALLYN: Hey, thanks, Ayesha.
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