- A leak of internal documents from TikTok has revealed that the company knew that several 15-year-old girls were naked live in exchange for virtual currencies sent by adult men. This information has come to light thanks to an error that allowed access to several documents from the Facebook social network.
The study shows that a significant number of older users use the platform to contact and demand sexual content to minors, according to TIkToken internal documents obtained by the U.S. public radio NRP, although the social network management has been aware of these risks since 2022, it does not seem to have been concerned about what happened.
The bottom line is that a significant number of adults use the platform to ask adolescents to undress directly. In addition, they have shown that in a single month the children were sent "one million gifts" through this service. These “gifts” are a tool created for the virtual sending of money. The platform encourages platforms as a method for creators to "reward" users when they like a certain content. However, the direction of the social network was aware that a "significant" number of girls who make direct receive these virtual currencies that adults tell them to undress and send them in return.
TikTok accuses the NPR of publicly disseminating information around it. “It is a serious irresponsibility to publish the information that is under secret,” says TikTok.
The filter of beauty and self-esteem of young
people has also brought to the surface other issues of American laughter. TikTok has also been criticized by the algorithms. In fact, algorithms are designed to keep users connected and are designed to adjust the visibility of “unattractive” users. They have added that, although the social network suggested creating educational resources about body image, they promote the use of beauty filters, which generates negative effects on the self-esteem of young people.
Filtered documents indicate that the algorithm can also generate "negative bubbles". Algorithms that put users exposed to harmful content, such as videos about suicide and self-harm.
These findings are part of a broader research on the risks social networks have for young people. The New York Attorney General has said that many adolescents are suffering serious consequences from the TikTok platform, which has been detained.