Leaked reports reveal TikTok favors beauty, sparks outrage
Internal TikTok reports have leaked, showing that the app prefers to promote people with stereotypically "attractive" appearances while reducing the visibility of users who deviate from these beauty standards.
2:01 PM EDT, October 18, 2024
TikTok is one of the most popular and fastest-growing social media apps globally. Given its user base, it is inevitable that it will encounter controversies and crises over time. TikTok has been repeatedly accused of inadequate data verification and exposing children to inappropriate content that is inappropriate for their age.
The USA has been actively lobbying for a permanent ban on the Chinese app, attempting to compel the technology company ByteDance to sell it. Currently, there are lawsuits against TikTok in several American states. Disturbing details from the brand's internal reports have been disclosed during these court cases.
The TikTok algorithm favors attractive people. Is "pretty privilege" real?
National Public Radio reports that internal TikTok documents reveal that users can become addicted to the app in as little as 35 minutes of screen time. Additionally, the system benefits individuals who align with conventionally accepted beauty standards.
Although beauty and unattractiveness are largely subjective, if TikTok indeed uses such methods, it suggests the existence of "pretty privilege," or the preferential treatment of individuals perceived as attractive.
This is one reason why the requirement to attach a photo to a CV is being phased out during recruitment processes in large companies, to prevent favoritism based on appearance.
Authorities in Kentucky claim that TikTok "took active steps to promote a narrow beauty norm even though it could negatively impact their young users."
