Overview
- Creating a fake teenage account and merely lingering on sad posts led to a feed saturated with depressive and suicidal videos in about twenty minutes.
- During the test, no help or prevention messages appeared despite repeated exposure to self-harm and suicide-themed content.
- Some videos included explicit self-harm techniques and coded references such as a Swiss flag to allude to suicide without using the word.
- Amnesty International France’s October 21 report alleges the algorithm amplifies such content, featuring testimony from an 18-year-old who says exposure preceded self-harm and suicide attempts.
- As families grouped as Algos Victima pursue complaints, TikTok representatives told a parliamentary inquiry that protecting young users is a priority for its recommendation system.