Kids on TikTok find the sunny app has a dark side


Highly personalised recommendations, driven by algorithms owned by the parent company ByteDance Ltd, often make it harder for parents to track what their children are seeing and for regulators to monitor what kids are being exposed to on the app. — AFP Relaxnews

TikTok is known primarily as a launchpad for funny memes, dance routines and lip-synching videos. The company embraces that reputation with a tagline, “the last sunny corner on the Internet”. But there’s a dark side to TikTok that engulfs some of the app’s youngest users.

Beneath the surface, TikTok also hosts videos promoting anorexia, bullying, suicide and sexual exploitation of minors. Highly personalised recommendations, driven by algorithms owned by the parent company ByteDance Ltd, often make it harder for parents to track what their children are seeing and for regulators to monitor what kids are being exposed to on the app.

The Star Christmas Special Promo: Save 35% OFF Yearly. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

These travel influencers don’t want freebies. They’re AI.
Social app RedNote expanding beyond China despite privacy concerns
Live shopping catches on in US with Kim Kardashian and�cookies
Amazon in talks to invest in OpenAI, source says
Grok spews misinformation about deadly Australia shooting
Blackstone leads investment in data-security firm Cyera at a $9 billion valuation, WSJ reports
AI romance blooms as Japan woman weds virtual partner of her dreams
Waymo in talks to raise billions at over $100 billion valuation, the Information reports
Hacking group 'ShinyHunters' threatens to expose premium users of sex site Pornhub
X Corp sues social media startup over bid to claim 'Twitter' brand

Others Also Read