TikTok has confirmed that employees can manually promote certain videos across the platform to ensure a set number of video views.
First reported by ForbesTikTok has since confirmed that some of its employees can boost videos to “introduce emerging celebrities and creators to the TikTok community.”
This is accomplished via a so-called “heat” button, which overrides the algorithm intended to drive the TikTok experience.
Background manipulation can encourage machismo
According to a Forbes investigation, six current and former employees of TikTok and its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance, and employees within the United States, could artificially expand the reach of certain videos.
In the “MINT Heating Playbook,” an internal document obtained by Forbes, ByteDance states that “heating refers to enhancing videos in the For You feed by interfering with the process to achieve a certain number of video views.”
This contradicts how TikTok previously claimed Its recommendation feed works by using an algorithm to curate a feed tailored to each user’s interests.
Heating is allegedly used to encourage partnerships
According to Forbes sources, this process builds business relationships and attracts influencers and brands.
“We’re promoting some videos to help diversify the content experience and introduce budding celebrities and creators to the TikTok community,” TikTok spokesperson Jimmy Favazza told Forbes. “Only a handful of people, who are US residents, have the ability to approve content for promotion in the US, and that content makes up about 002% of the videos in For You feeds.”
However, according to a MINT document, hot videos make up about 1-2% of daily video views.
Watching manipulation is a fairly common practice
According to Brent Csutoras, digital marketing expert and co-founder and managing partner at Alpha Brand Media, the parent company of Search Engine Journal, this kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation is more common than platforms allow — and has often led to abuse.
“While it is not uncommon for social media platforms to take advantage of employee actions, giving some ‘superusers’ the ability to influence more, or even force the integration of content into your feeds (whether via ads, forced following, or algorithmic factors), TikTok has always been a company that seems to ignore the impact of these decisions on the trust of its users, especially when they are made behind closed doors and without explanation,” Csutoras said.
“In every scenario where an individual or group of individuals can take an action that affects the visibility of content on the platform, whether it be through social media or search engines, we have seen strong user backlash and abuse.”
Featured image: Roman Samborski/Shutterstock
