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Study Finds TikTok, Owned by ByteDance, Manipulates Perceptions of China Including Tiananmen Square and Uyghurs

Jan 5, 2025, 10:07 PM

A new study by Rutgers University's Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has found that TikTok, owned by the Chinese media giant ByteDance, may be manipulating perceptions of China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through its algorithm. The research, reported exclusively by The Free Press, indicates that TikTok downplays negative content related to China, including historical events such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and the treatment of Uyghurs. This comes as the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether TikTok, owned by ByteDance, must be sold or shut down due to federal legislation, with TikTok arguing that such a move would be an unconstitutional limit on free speech. The study's findings raise concerns about the influence of foreign-owned social media platforms on American users and the potential for digital indoctrination.