"On TikTok, initially the videos were a chaotic mix of non-English videos and AI slop including one with the branding of gambling company Stake on it. But when the Kirk video was presented unprompted and viewed, the algorithm began shifting the type of content that appeared, resulting in a feed dominated by videos praising the neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell and the anti-immigration rallies, anti-Anthony Albanese content, including an AI-generated video of the prime minister being chased by trucks, and even a Port Arthur conspiracy theory video."
"The process was replicated twice more by resetting the recommendation algorithm in the TikTok app. On YouTube Shorts, a similar process resulted in a flood of videos related to K-Pop Demon Hunters, but when a news report on Kirk's death was presented, the algorithm shifted to include much more rightwing and anti-immigration content, videos of violent public incidents, and footage of what appeared to be a hostage incident, with someone held at gunpoint."
An experiment used a factory-reset iPhone to access YouTube Shorts and TikTok without logging in, relying on their anonymous, endless short-video feeds. On TikTok the initial feed featured non-English clips and AI-generated material, but viewing an unprompted news clip about Charlie Kirk's assassination caused the algorithm to pivot toward praise for neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell, anti-immigration rallies, anti-Anthony Albanese content including an AI-generated truck-chase video, and a Port Arthur conspiracy clip. Resetting the TikTok recommendations replicated the shift. On YouTube Shorts a similar viewing event transformed a K-Pop-heavy feed into one with rightwing, anti-immigration, violent, and apparent hostage footage. Australia’s proposed social-media ban will require removal of accounts under 16 while children will still be able to access platforms that do not require login.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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