As world leaders shun TikTok, impersonators and fake accounts creep in

TikTok doesn’t yet have a robust verification system to certify accounts as authentic. Unlike Twitter Inc, TikTok doesn’t require parody accounts to clearly indicate they are not affiliated with the subject. — AFP

As TikTok catches fire among the younger set, world leaders and politicians have kept their distance amid national security concerns about the Chinese-owned app.

The vacuum is leaving room for impersonators to roam free. And TikTok’s efforts to dissuade such fake or misleading accounts are lacking, some social media experts say.