On the afternoon of August 30th, the Taiwan branch of Amnesty International held a seminar discussing the topic of “From Anxiety to Infiltration: How TikTok Harms the Mental Health and Information Security of Our Children,” inviting experts to analyze the issue.
TikTok has over 1 billion users worldwide, with teenagers being the main user group. Its algorithm is among the most aggressive, exposing users to content related to self-harm/suicide within just 20 minutes of use. The addictive design of TikTok can make children keep scrolling endlessly and excessively collect various user data, severely infringing on privacy.
The addictive design of TikTok includes features such as infinite scrolling in the “For You” section, where personalized videos are recommended within minutes and gradually narrowed down to push highly personalized content. Intermittent rewards are created through “surprise videos” to form a habit loop and encourage addiction. Comparison of likes and social status leads to increased anxiety.
TikTok’s privacy violations towards users include arbitrary intrusion by collecting both active (posts, likes) and passive data (time spent, scrolling speed, emotions) without control, stripping away genuine informed consent under the condition of “consent to use,” and manipulation of identity through forcing users to disclose personal information and preferences publicly by liking, sharing, etc.
It is essential for individuals to have privacy rights free from intrusion, information control, and identity space (or personal privacy domain) – the three elements forming privacy rights. Freedom from intrusion means being free from arbitrary or unlawful interference, information control allows personal decisions on when and how data is shared, and identity space refers to the freedom to construct and express oneself.
A research report by Amnesty International highlights how TikTok’s business model infringes on users’ privacy rights and other human rights. TikTok is deliberately designed to be addictive, trapping users into endless scrolling. Young users interested in mental health may spiral into a bottomless pit of discussions, romanticization, and even encouragement of depressive, self-harming, and suicidal content.
Researcher Eric Hsu from Taiwan Democracy Lab questions TikTok’s algorithm, which attracts teenagers with its diverse, trendy, easily consumable content, social functions, unique user social mechanisms, and precise algorithms. He discusses how TikTok’s algorithm may not be as flawless as it seems.
Regarding how Taiwanese teenagers view the unification issue, Eric analyzes that those using TikTok may incline towards Taiwan’s potential inability to resist a military invasion by the Chinese Communist Party, fear the horrors of war, worry about the safety of loved ones, and might lean towards surrender. They may believe that even in unification, there would be little impact on the general public. Teenagers may feel a strong sense of powerlessness and indifference towards various issues, specifically lacking a coherent understanding of the overall threat posed by the CCP and demonstrating concerning sensitivity and resistance towards CCP influence.
Eric analyzes TikTok’s role in the CCP’s united front strategy towards Taiwan, pointing out how TikTok uses domestic Taiwanese issues to incite negative emotions, division, erode public confidence in Taiwan’s democratic system, emphasize dissatisfaction with the current state of life in Taiwan, amplify the “closeness” between societies and individuals on both sides, and implant grim images of a wartime scenario, actively shaping a positive image of cross-strait unification.
Their research findings show that active TikTok use influences political attitudes, especially in weakening satisfaction with Taiwan’s existing system and confidence in democracy. Active TikTok users tend to lean towards pro-CCP views, hold positive attitudes towards CCP governance, and adopt populist suspicions towards Taiwan’s system.
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