In the United States, the noose is tightening around TikTok.
Under fire from critics, the Chinese social network seems to want to bring a pledge of goodwill.
The ByteDance application will offer in a few weeks a tool explaining why certain videos are recommended to users in the "for you" tab.
The new feature is
"designed to bring more context to the recommended content"
, explains the Chinese firm in a blog post published on Tuesday, December 20.
Read alsoData access in China, disinformation, influence operations… Regulators worried about the TikTok application
Some English-speaking users can already access the new functionality.
They just need to tap on the sharing panel and select the new question mark icon, called
"Why this video?"
»
.
The list of possible justifications is long.
Videos can be promoted because a content is popular in the user's region or if a TikTok is from a recommended or followed account.
The algorithm also refines based on what a user has watched, liked, shared, commented on, or searched for.
Vague explanations
The company promises to continue "
expanding this feature to bring more finesse and transparency to content recommendations"
as the weeks go by.
But in reality, the explanations remain vague.
For three years, the social network has been broadcasting snippets of clues about the operation of its recommendation algorithm.
Language used, location, comments, likes, subscriptions, type of devices, etc.
This information makes it possible, according to the platform, to offer content related to the centers of interest of users.
Time spent on a video also influences content recommendations, according to a Wall Street Journal survey.
Read alsoHow the TikTok algorithm pushes the filter bubble to the extreme
In recent years, many social networks have committed to more transparency... without real effort.
In 2019, Facebook developed the "
Why am I seeing this post
?
" tool .
»
.
The answer
“this content is popular with other users”
comes up most often.
On the side of Twitter, the tool
"Why am I seeing this ad?"
justifies
the highlighting of advertising by the location of the user and his age.
Read also“They know that it is a Chinese algorithm that controls their destiny”: on TikTok, influencers between glory and anguish
TikTok's "For You" custom tab algorithm is one of the big reasons for the app's success.
It presents users with content that is likely to interest them.
But for the past few weeks, the Chinese social network has been under pressure.
Suspected of collecting the personal data of its users on behalf of Beijing, the subsidiary of ByteDance is accused of harming the national security of the United States.
A bipartisan bill was thus tabled on Thursday, December 15 to ban the application on American territory.
Since Tuesday, December 20, Washington has been tightening the screw.
US lawmakers included a proposal to ban federal government employees from using the Chinese app on government devices.