Why are there so many fake accounts on TikTok?
TikTok has exploded in popularity in recent years, becoming one of the most used social media platforms globally. However, its rapid growth has come with a dark side – an influx of fake accounts impersonating real people and brands. In fact, some estimates suggest that over 20% of accounts on TikTok may be fake.
These fake accounts raise many questions and concerns. Why are there so many? What’s driving their creation? And how can real users and brands protect themselves from impersonation and other fake account risks? In this article, we’ll explore the fake account phenomenon on TikTok and provide insights into this emerging issue.
What constitutes a fake TikTok account?
There are a few main types of fake accounts commonly found on TikTok:
Bot accounts
Bot accounts are automated accounts controlled by bots rather than real people. They often have default profile photos and usernames, follow/unfollow other accounts in bulk, and post repetitive or irrelevant videos and comments. Bots may try to drive traffic to spam websites or inflate follower counts.
Spam accounts
Spam accounts repeatedly post irrelevant, promotional, or malicious content in comments and videos. Their goal is to spread links to shady websites or apps. Spam accounts often have irrelevant usernames and minimal profile information.
Inactive accounts
Inactive or lurking accounts are controlled by real people but have no posts or activity. They follow lots of accounts to build follower numbers but don’t engage. Brands sometimes use inactive accounts until they are ready to start posting.
Identifying fakes among active accounts with unique usernames and profiles can be difficult. But tactics like botting, spamming, and inflating followers are signs of inauthenticity.
Why are there so many fakes?
There are several reasons why fake accounts proliferate on TikTok. Some key motives include:
To inflate follower counts – Fake accounts will follow other users en masse, artificially boosting follower numbers. This makes accounts seem more popular than they really are. Some users even pay for fake followers to increase clout.
To spread spam and scams – Scammers create networks of fake accounts to spam other users with suspicious links, phony offers, and financial scams to make money. They aim to take advantage of unsuspecting users.
To artificially increase engagement – Fake accounts are often used to like, share, and comment on posts from a main account that the operator wants to promote. This gives the illusion of authentic interest and engagement.
According to an investigation by Buzzfeed News, over 20% of engagement on some top influencer accounts came from suspicious bot activity [1]. This demonstrates the massive scale of inauthentic activity.
Estimates of fake accounts
Various analyses and studies have aimed to estimate the percentage of TikTok accounts that are fake or inauthentic. In September 2022, TikTok reported that fake accounts represented just 2% of monthly active users, according to their detection methods.1 However, other estimates suggest the number could be significantly higher.
According to research conducted by TikTok marketing firm WebFriendly.com in October 2022, over 96% of TikTok accounts show signs of being fake, spam or bots.2 They analyzed account behaviors and activity patterns to identify suspicious indicators. Another analysis by fraud detection company Fraud0 estimated that up to 97% of traffic on TikTok comes from bots and fake accounts.3
The wide discrepancy in estimates highlights the challenges of detecting fake accounts and bots programmatically. TikTok likely faces an ongoing battle to identify and remove inauthentic accounts as they are created. More research is needed to provide a definitive percentage of fakes.
TikTok’s Efforts Against Fake Accounts
TikTok has implemented various measures to combat the proliferation of fake accounts on its platform. This includes both proactive and reactive approaches to identify and remove suspicious accounts.
One major effort is TikTok’s account verification program, which allows prominent users to have their accounts verified with a blue checkmark badge. This helps distinguish authentic profiles from impersonators. According to TikTok, the verification process involves “a combination of guidelines that includes assessing the account’s authenticity, credibility, and the user’s public prominence” [1].
TikTok also routinely screens for suspicious account activity and removes those deemed to be inauthentic. In Q2 2023 alone, TikTok removed over 18 million accounts believed to be fake [2]. The platform uses advanced algorithms and moderation teams to detect patterns of bot or spam behavior.
Additionally, TikTok has implemented various security improvements aimed at curtailing fake accounts, such as reCAPTCHA technology on registration forms and requiring SMS verification for some actions. The company claims a reduction in automated account creation thanks to these enhanced safeguards.
While fake accounts persist, TikTok does appear to be actively investing resources into keeping impersonators and bots off its platform. However, the challenge of identifying and removing fake accounts at scale remains an ongoing battle across social media.
Impacts of fake accounts
Fake accounts can negatively impact social media platforms and users in several ways:
First, they can inflate engagement metrics like follower counts, likes, shares, and comments. Platforms may tout high engagement numbers, but much of it may come from fake accounts rather than real users. This distorts understanding of true reach and resonance (Pasiekaa, 2021).
Second, fake accounts contribute to a bad user experience. People want to interact with real users, but their feeds and comments sections get cluttered with fake accounts’ irrelevant or dubious content. This degrades the community and conversations (Fahmy, 2023).
Third, fake accounts spread misinformation by sharing falsehoods, conspiracy theories, and propaganda. Without accountability, they disseminate harmful narratives without checks on truthfulness (Radarr, 2022).
How to spot fake accounts
There are a few telltale signs that a TikTok account may be fake:
- No profile photo – Most fake accounts don’t bother uploading a unique profile photo and use TikTok’s default gray silhouette icon.
- Generic or repetitive content – Bots and fake accounts tend to repost popular content verbatim or make very minor changes to piggyback off viral trends. Look for accounts repeatedly posting similar or identical content.
- Bot-like behavior – Fake accounts often follow bot patterns like commenting single words or emojis, or consistently posting/engaging within precise time intervals.
As Tiktal notes, analyzing an account’s followers, engagement rate, video views, and references can also indicate fakeness. Vetting accounts thoroughly remains key to spotting fakes.
Best practices for users
There are several things users should keep in mind to protect themselves from fake accounts on TikTok:
Be careful about sharing personal information like your phone number, home address, or financial details with accounts you don’t know well, as fakes may try to phish this information from you.
Report any accounts you suspect are fake to TikTok by tapping the share button on a post and selecting “Report.” Provide details on why you think the account is fake.
Engage authentically by only following and interacting with accounts of people you know or that provide value. Avoid blindly liking, commenting, or sharing content from accounts just to increase your own growth.
Review privacy settings and limit visibility of your profile and posts to vetted followers rather than making everything public.
Do reverse image searches on profile photos to see if they are stolen from somewhere else online.
Look for signs of fake activity like few original posts, spammy comments, or content inconsistent with the stated profile.
Stay alert to red flags like accounts asking for personal information or pressuring you to invest money or share content.
The future of fakes on TikTok
As TikTok continues to grow in popularity, the ongoing cat and mouse game between fake accounts and improved detection methods is likely to intensify. According to research from Anura, “fighting the fraudsters and the fake accounts requires more than marketing expertise; you’ll need a little help from your ad fraud detection tools” (Source). TikTok will need to stay ahead of new tactics for creating fake accounts even as their AI systems get better at identifying patterns of inauthentic behavior.
Experts believe improvements in AI will allow TikTok to detect fake accounts earlier and more accurately. As reported by Pew Research, “new technical solutions are in the works to help tamp down on the spread of misinformation” (Source). However, malicious actors will likely find new ways to evade these systems. It will be an ongoing battle, but one that TikTok must win to maintain trust with users and advertisers.
Conclusion
In summary, while the number of fake accounts on TikTok is difficult to pinpoint exactly, most analysis show it could be over 20% or higher. These accounts are created for various motives like inflating popularity, spreading misinformation or scams, and artificially increasing ad revenue.
TikTok has implemented measures to detect and remove fake accounts but the scale of the platform makes this an ongoing battle. Users should stay vigilant, learn to spot suspect account behavior, and avoid falling for engagement bait or shady links.
The prevalence of fakes continues to be an issue facing TikTok and all major social platforms. Maintaining platform integrity and user trust requires persistent action and evolution of safeguards. With awareness and caution, users can enjoy TikTok while mitigating risks posed by fake accounts flooding the platform.
