Opinion: TikTok’s algorithm can’t be trusted

Like other social-media apps, TikTok makes money by keeping people watching, so it can serve them more ads. — Bloomberg

Everybody’s worried about the algorithm behind TikTok, the wildly popular Chinese-run short-video app. President Donald Trump thinks it poses a threat to national security (or maybe to his campaign rallies), and so is demanding that its US operations be sold to an American company. China wants to keep it out of US hands. TikTok insists it’s friendly and open for all to see.

So what is it? As best I can tell, it’s like any other algorithm, which means it can be used for evil or for good.