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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Has TikTok said its recommendations are racially biased?

By Jiyul Kim
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NO

TikTok, a social-media app that has become popular with younger users, says it is working to diversify the recommendations the app automatically offers users.

TikTok tactics have received intense scrutiny from competitors, media and regulators. The company concedes that its recommendation methods may have limited user exposure to work by creators from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. "Our teams are intent on developing ethical machine learning processes that reflect inclusivity and diversity, but we know there's work to be done in this area," the company said on June 24.

The company's plans to open a "transparency center" in Los Angeles, where it promises to show outside experts more about how its tools work, are on hold because of the pandemic.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
TikTok: Progress report on diversity and inclusion
TikTok: How TikTok recommends videos
TikTok: Launching a transparency center
The Verge: TikTok reveals some of its secrets and blind spots
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.