Concerns Over TikTok as a Disinformation Tool and News Source: What Americans Think

Congress is on high alert as they fear that TikTok could potentially be used as a tool for spreading disinformation to shape Americans’ views in favor of China. This concern led to the passing of a law in April that mandated the sale of TikTok’s US assets from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or face a ban.

Despite these fears from lawmakers, a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that Americans are not as worried about news and disinformation on TikTok compared to other social media platforms. The survey of around 10,000 US adults found that respondents felt TikTok was the least likely app to influence the news stories they saw, in terms of algorithmic recommendations or content moderation.

When it came to the accuracy of news information, respondents who consumed news were less concerned about the accuracy of news on TikTok compared to other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (referred to as X in the survey). TikTok users reported seeing inaccurate news “sometimes” or “extremely or fairly often” at a lower rate compared to other platforms.

Interestingly, TikTok users also felt less “worn out” by the amount of news they saw on the platform compared to users of other social media apps. This data is significant considering the ongoing scrutiny and criticism TikTok has faced from lawmakers and the public regarding its handling of news content, particularly during events like the Israel-Hamas conflict.

While TikTok has defended its practices and pushed back against criticisms, the platform continues to attract a large audience, with over 1 billion users globally and 170 million in the US. As TikTok has grown, it has also nurtured a growing number of news-focused accounts, although the news content reaching users often comes from non-traditional sources like influencers and celebrities rather than traditional news organizations.

Overall, TikTok users tend to view individual creators and non-news accounts as more authentic and trustworthy sources of information compared to traditional news institutions. This shift in news consumption behavior reflects a changing landscape where social media platforms play a significant role in shaping public opinion and influencing current events.