London, Oct 3(HS): A new investigation has revealed that TikTok’s recommendation system has been steering accounts registered as children toward pornography and sexually explicit material, even when safety filters were activated.
Researchers who set up test accounts as 13-year-olds found that the platform suggested sexual search terms leading to videos showing simulated sexual acts, nudity, and in extreme cases, explicit pornographic films.
Some of the content was embedded within seemingly innocent videos in order to evade moderation systems.The findings surfaced despite the accounts being placed under TikTok’s “restricted mode” — a feature the company advertises as blocking sexually suggestive or complex themes.
According to the investigators, children were being exposed to the material almost immediately after account creation, without conducting any searches themselves.TikTok has responded by insisting that teen safety remains a top priority. The company said it already employs more than 50 protective measures, including removing the majority of violating videos before they appear to users.
After being alerted, it said it deleted offending content and made improvements to its search suggestion system.The evidence was gathered shortly after new online protection rules, known as the Children’s Codes under the Online Safety Act, came into effect in July. These regulations make it a legal duty for digital platforms to deploy effective age-verification systems and prevent minors from viewing pornography or harmful content linked to self-harm and eating disorders.
Campaigners argue that TikTok’s failures highlight the need for regulators to intervene swiftly. One researcher said the discovery was “deeply shocking” and showed that the platform was not only failing to shield children from explicit content, but in fact promoting it to underage users.
The report has intensified calls for greater accountability of tech companies, with child protection advocates warning that algorithm-driven recommendations remain a major weakness in safeguarding digital spaces for young people.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
