TikTok, its Controversies and Scandals

All about the string of controversies the social networking service continues to attract.

• Hosting tame content was never part of TikTok’s branding, but the video-focused social platform has become so mired in controversy over the years that it has managed to attract the ire of lawmakers.
• TikTok claims to be “​​a home for creative expression through videos that create a genuine, inspiring, and joyful experience”, but it has a reputation for pushing harmful content and misinformation.
• European consumer campaigners warned regulators last year that TikTok exposes youngsters to “inappropriate content” without sufficient oversight, with one in three users having seen harmful content.
• The network has been much criticised for some of its viral and highly problematic social media challenges, such as the outright dangerous 'thumb blowing pass out’ challenge and the ‘autism challenge’.
• There are also long-standing concerns over the way TikTok shares personal data of its users, and the increasingly large-scale misinformation campaigns reaching millions via the service.
• Former moderators have filed lawsuits for being tasked with reviewing "unfiltered, disgusting and offensive content," including child sexual abuse, rape, and torture.