TikTok recommends porn and highly sexualised content to children, says report

A new investigation by Global Witness (a human rights campaign group) has found that TikTok’s algorithm is pushing pornography and highly sexualized content toward accounts posing as children — even when safety settings are turned on. 

The researchers set up TikTok accounts that claimed to be 13 years old, used “Restricted Mode” (which is supposed to limit exposure to mature or suggestive content), and started with brand‑new phones with no search history. Despite those safeguards, the “You May Like” suggestions began showing overtly sexual search prompts immediately. 

Some of the suggested searches included terms like “very rude babes,” “very very rude skimpy outfits,” and “hardcore pawn clips.” Clicking through led the researchers to content that ranged from women simulating masturbation, flashing underwear, exposing breasts, to explicit films showing penetrative sex.  In certain tests, pornographic content appeared in as few as two clicks after login (first by opening the search bar, then by selecting a suggested term).  Some of these explicit videos had been disguised within more innocuous clips to evade TikTok’s content moderation systems. 

Global Witness called the findings “a huge shock,” arguing that TikTok is not just failing to prevent children from seeing inappropriate content — it is actively suggesting it. After being alerted, TikTok said it quickly removed violating content and made changes to its search suggestion mechanisms. The company also pointed out it has many safety features in place and claims it removes nine out of ten videos that violate its policies before they reach users.

However, follow‑up tests by the researchers after the UK’s Online Safety Act (which imposes stricter obligations on platforms to protect children) took effect revealed that the problem persisted. The researchers argue that TikTok may be in breach of the law, particularly because it continues to recommend sexual content to accounts flagged as under 18. 

Global Witness is now calling on regulators to intervene, insisting that platforms must take stronger steps to prevent children from being exposed to harmful content via algorithmic suggestions.

Source: BBC