TikTok is a short-form video platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It has over 1 billion monthly active users globally. TikTok relies heavily on its proprietary algorithm to determine which videos to show each user. The algorithm analyzes user behavior and preferences to create a personalized “For You” feed for each user.
Recently, TikTok’s algorithm has come under scrutiny due to concerns about how it moderates content, promotes harmful videos, and can skew political perspectives. There have been accusations of TikTok suppressing content from marginalized creators and questions about how much control the Chinese government may have over the algorithm. TikTok has made some changes to the algorithm but transparency remains an issue.
How the TikTok Algorithm Works
TikTok uses a proprietary algorithm to determine what videos to show each user in their “For You” feed. The algorithm aims to provide each user with a personalized set of videos tailored to their interests and behavior on the app. There are several key factors the algorithm considers:
Watches, likes, comments, and finishes are all signals that help the algorithm understand what types of videos a user engages with most. Videos that a user watches all the way through to the end, likes, comments on, or rewatches multiple times are given preference by the algorithm.
The algorithm also considers personalization based on a wide range of user data and interactions. This includes information drawn from user profiles, liked videos, shared videos, captions and hashtags used, comments, device and account settings, and browsing history. The more a user interacts with specific types of content, the more the algorithm will serve them videos in that niche.
Essentially, the goal is to create a unique “For You” feed for every user that keeps them engaged and entertained based on their personal tastes. By considering multiple engagement signals and individual user data, TikTok’s algorithm aims to deliver the most relevant content to each person.
Sources:
https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-algorithm/
https://buffer.com/resources/tiktok-algorithm/
Recent Algorithm Changes
In 2022, TikTok rolled out some significant changes to its recommendation algorithm in an effort to increase randomness and variety in users’ For You feeds, as well as give more exposure to new and smaller creators.1 Previously, the algorithm heavily favored accounts with larger followings and tended to show users very similar content to what they had previously engaged with. However, TikTok wanted to shake things up and help users discover new types of videos and creators that they may not have seen before.
One of the biggest changes involved increasing the randomness of the For You feed. Before, users would often see very predictable content based on their watch history and likes. Now, TikTok intentionally adds more unexpected videos to the mix, so the For You feed has more variety and users come across new things they may not have searched for or engaged with yet. This creates more of a “surprise and delight” experience rather than just showing users exactly what they want.
Additionally, TikTok started giving greater visibility to creators who are just starting out and have smaller follower counts. The previous iteration of the algorithm tended to heavily advantage larger accounts that already had established audiences. But now the playing field is being leveled so that new creators have a better chance of their content going viral and gaining traction. This also helps add more diversity to users’ feeds, since they are seeing videos from a wider range of creators instead of just the top accounts.
Effects on Creators
The TikTok algorithm changes have had significant effects on creators and influencers who rely on the platform. Many creators have expressed concerns that recent algorithm updates are making it harder for them to reach their existing followers and gain new ones (Source: The TikTok Algorithm Explained + Tips to Go Viral – Hootsuite). This can negatively impact reach and monetization through sponsorships and branded content deals.
Creators have had to adapt their content strategies as a result. While in the past they could go viral more easily through hashtag challenges, they now need to focus more on engaging their loyal followers directly through high-quality content in line with TikTok’s mission of “inspiration, positivity, and creativity.” Many influencers have shifted to more educational and helpful “how-to” style videos as opposed to memes or dancing trends, as these are being rewarded by the updated algorithm (Source: How Does the TikTok Algorithm Work? – Influencer Marketing Hub).
In summary, the TikTok algorithm changes have compelled creators to rethink their approaches to gain views and make money, placing greater emphasis on producing original content that provides value, inspires positivity, and authentically engages their loyal fanbases.
Ads on TikTok
TikTok has significantly increased the number of ads on the platform. A recent study found that nearly a third of TikTok videos were ads, compared to around 20% previously (Source 1). TikTok introduced a variety of new ad formats in 2022, including Branded Mission, which are interactive challenges that encourage users to create content around a brand campaign.
TikTok Ads Manager now allows brands to serve ads in TikTok’s search results page through a new Search Ads Toggle (Source 2). This expands the reach of ads beyond just the For You feed. TikTok has also expanded ads beyond the app through its new Out of Phone program, which puts branded content on billboards, in stores, and at venues (Source 3).
Censorship and Control
TikTok has been criticized for censoring certain content on its platform, particularly content deemed politically sensitive by the Chinese government. As a Chinese-owned company, some argue TikTok may be censoring topics like the Hong Kong protests or China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims to comply with Chinese laws and norms [1]. TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithms play a major role in controlling the spread of content, as they determine which videos are shown to users. According to a former ByteDance censor, the algorithms can precisely control the reach of any given video to limit undesirable content[2]. Some contend this gives TikTok enormous power to quietly censor topics and shape public discourse to align with government interests, without most users even realizing.
TikTok has disputed claims of censorship, stating they do not remove content based on sensitivities related to China. However, the platform has apologized for making “mistakes” in censoring certain content in the past. This includes suppressing posts by U.S. users about Black Lives Matter protests and suspending the account of an American teenager who criticized China’s treatment of Uyghurs[3]. The opacity around TikTok’s censorship practices and reliance on algorithms continues to raise concerns.
Maintaining Engagement
TikTok’s powerful algorithm is very effective at keeping users scrolling by recommending highly engaging and addictive content. As users spend more time on the app, the algorithm learns their preferences and can serve up personalized videos designed to capture their attention even further. This feedback loop results in users spending excessive amounts of time consuming content on TikTok.
Critics have noted the dangers of this addictive effect. According to an analysis in the Public Health Journal, the way TikTok recommends content makes the app highly addictive, potentially even more than other social media apps (https://sites.brown.edu/publichealthjournal/2021/12/13/tiktok/). Another analysis pointed out that the content targeted to each user feeds an addictive cycle of likes, comments, shares, and watch time (https://www.healthtechdigital.com/why-is-tiktok-so-addictive-experts-weigh-in-amid-new-safety-feature/). The algorithm’s focus on addiction over quality or truth has raised concerns.
Transparency Issues
There have been ongoing calls for TikTok to provide more transparency into how its algorithms work and moderate content. Many feel that TikTok lacks communication and clarity when it comes to these issues.
TikTok opened a Transparency and Accountability Center in Los Angeles in early 2023, allowing selected guests to view how moderation and recommendations work behind the scenes.1 However, some argue this does not go far enough, as the general public and TikTok creators themselves still have little insight.
In March 2023, experts highlighted TikTok’s lack of transparency around how it promotes or demotes videos, making it difficult to understand what type of content is visible or not.2 This opacity leads many to call for more disclosure from TikTok on content moderation and recommendation practices.
While TikTok does publish periodic transparency reports, many feel substantially more transparency and communication are needed for creators and users to fully understand the platform’s impacts.
Competing with Reels
TikTok faces major competition from Instagram Reels, which is similar in format but more deeply integrated with Instagram. TikTok has made changes focused on countering Reels’ rise in popularity.
One unique feature that sets TikTok apart from Reels is Duets, which allow users to create a video that incorporates another user’s video side-by-side. As cited in this source, TikTok’s algorithm tends to be better at getting new eyes on content, while Reels succeeds more at showing content to existing followers.
The Future
As TikTok continues to dominate the short-form video space and compete with rivals like Instagram Reels, we can expect to see more changes and evolution with the TikTok algorithm in the future. Some potential changes to expect include:
TikTok moving towards more personalization and customization in an effort to keep users engaged. As noted in the Hootsuite article, “The TikTok Algorithm Explained + Tips to Go Viral”, the app may start tailoring content and recommendations even more based on individual interests and behaviors.
More emphasis on originality and creativity in videos that do well. As Buffer discussed in their guide “How to Work With the TikTok Algorithm in 2024”, this could mean rewarding novelty over tested formulas.
Changes to continue promoting engagement and time-spent on the app. This could include tweaks to how long videos are promoted and ways to keep people scrolling through content.
Additional factors incorporated into the recommendation system, such as information from connected services or advertising partnerships.
Overall, TikTok is likely to keep evolving its algorithm to maintain market dominance, beat competitors, and keep users continually engaged on the platform.
