The Uncontrollable Personalization: How Tiktok and Other Social Media Platforms Are Struggling to Protect Users from Harmful Content

The recent school shooting in Vantaa has sparked a flood of content on social media channels, with Tiktok being particularly popular among young people. The platform is filled with an overwhelming number of shooting-related videos, which are recommended to users based on their previous interactions and search history. Even if you’re not actively seeking out this kind of content, it can still find its way into your Tiktok feed or recommended search terms.

Social media platforms have been criticized for their algorithms that tend to favor provocative and emotional content. In some cases, these platforms have been known to lead young users down harmful paths, such as idealizing thinness to dangerous levels. While platforms have promised to moderate and hide harmful content related to shootings or mental health issues, the responsibility also falls on parents to supervise their children’s online activities.

The EU’s digital service regulation aims to protect user safety and hold digital giants accountable for the content published on their platforms, particularly when it comes to protecting underage users. However, even with these regulations in place, it can be challenging for users to manage their personalized feeds effectively.

Sitra, Finland’s independence celebration fund, has provided instructions on how to adjust the personalized feed on different social media platforms. Turning off personalization can be a complex process on most platforms, with some like LinkedIn allowing default personalization options. Each platform has its own way of managing personalized content, but some like Snapchat and Pinterest received weaker grades from Sitra for their user experience in this regard. Personalizing feeds can also be challenging on platforms like YouTube and X.

Tiktok gives users the option to permanently turn off personalization, but they still see popular content based on their location and language preferences. The platform does not disclose how it defines content popularity, so turning off personalization may not prevent potentially harmful but popular content from surfacing. Snapchat and Pinterest were identified as having the weakest controls over personalization algorithms, making it difficult for users to manage their feeds effectively.

In conclusion, while social media platforms have made efforts to moderate and hide harmful content related to shootings or mental health issues