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Network Contagion Research Institute Intelligence Report 4 of publication, TikTok disabled its hashtag measurement functionality in a move that renders our December research findings irreplicable. Given these platform changes undertaken in recent months, the methodological basis of this current study are user journeys. The user journey methodology recreates the on-platform experience of a newly created, organic user. As is discussed at length the following section, the accounts created for this study on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube mimicked 16-year-old users located in the United States. These accounts were used to test the three platforms’ search algorithm results when inputting keywords of hot-button issues for the CCP domestically. An advantage of user journeys over web scraping or paginated mass collection techniques is that manual operation of dedicated sock puppet accounts more closely reproduces the search results and content flow that an organic user is likely to encounter. In recent years, user journeys are becoming an increasingly widespread technique for internet and social media algorithmic researchers. AI Forensics, a European non-profit research institute, partnered with Amnesty International in 2023 to conduct a user journey-driven analysis to study how the TikTok algorithm negatively influences teen mental health. 3 AI forensics’ primary research design relied on automatic collection of post data via 40 sock puppets, paired with a manual audit that strove to heuristically confirm findings. The Amnesty International report concluded that through TikTok’s algorithm, “children and young people are being exposed to a system which turns their psychological vulnerabilities into a means to maximize “user engagement.”4 Following the October 7th attack by Hamas and the eruption of conflict across the Middle East, researchers with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) embraced user journeys as a way to gauge algorithmic bias vis-a-vis the war in Gaza. The WSJ team created 8 sock puppet accounts posing as 13-year-old American teens and categorized conflict-related content that was served up as either pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel. The WSJ found that: “Similarly to other social-media platforms, much of the war content TikTok served the accounts was pro-Palestinian—accounting for 59% of the more than 4,800 videos served to the bots that the Journal reviewed and deemed relevant to the conflict or war. Some 15% of those shown were pro-Israel.”5 This finding that four times as much pro-Palestinian conflict-centric content was served relative to pro-Israel content likewise coincides with the CCP’s geopolitical interests in the Middle East, which have notably chilled towards Israel while warming towards the Palestinians and other 3 AIForensics. (2023). Unmasking TikTok's influence on youth mental health: A comprehensive investigation. https://aiforensics.org/work/tiktok-kids 4 Amnesty International. (2021). Driven into the darkness: How TikTok's 'For You' feed encourages self-harm and suicidal ideation (p. 64). https://aiforensics.org/uploads/POL_4073502023_ENGLISH_6ace7064be.pdf 5 Schechner, S., Barry, R., Wells, G., French, J., Whitton, B., & Dapena, K. (2023, Dec 22). How TikTok brings war home to your child. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/tech/tiktok-israel-gaza-hamas-war-a5dfa0ee

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The CCP's Digital Charm Offensive: How TikTok's Search Algorithm and Pro-China Influence Networks Indoctrinate GenZ Users in the United States

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English

Topic

Information Operation

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Network Contagion Research Institute

Date Published: Aug 8, 2024

Abstract: In December 2023, the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) published an initial report that found a strong possibility of content on TikTok being either amplified or suppressed based on its alignment with the interests of the Chinese Government. The report concluded with a warning: “should future research find that TikTok users exhibit attitudes and assessments of world events aligned with these information distortions, democracies will need to consider appropriate countermeasures to protect information integrity and mitigate potential real-world impacts.” These findings underscored the urgency of investigating the specific mechanisms and broader implications of potential algorithmic manipulations. While our initial study shed light on the potential for content manipulation on TikTok, it did not explore whether specific moderation algorithms or practices are used to suppress topics sensitive to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Moreover, it did not compare the nature and impact of pro- and anti-CCP content across other major social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. This current report addresses these gaps by providing a more comprehensive analysis of TikTok's moderation practices, examining the nature and prevalence of CCP-sensitive content, and evaluating how different platforms handle such content. Furthermore, this study explores the association between social media platform usage and pro-CCP attitudes among users. By combining user journey data, survey research, and cross-platform comparisons, we uncover the extent to which TikTok and other platforms may influence user perceptions and behaviors in favor of the CCP. The publication of this research precedes the delivery of oral arguments for TikTok Inc. and ByteDance Ltd. v. Merrick B. Garland, a federal court case that has subjected the TikTok algorithm to intensive new scrutiny. As detailed in the DOJ’s response to TikTok’s lawsuit, “covert content manipulation” is an area of legal interest for the DOJ, not to mention its relevance to the broader U.S. intelligence and national security community. That said, within the DOJ response it is noted that definitively proving covert content manipulation by the Chinese government remains a challenge. As FBI Director Wray testified to in multiple hearings, “[t]his sort of manipulation of the algorithm would be difficult to detect..."1 This research gap sets the stage for our findings, which, while not definitive proof of state orchestration, present compelling and strong circumstantial evidence of TikTok’s covert content manipulation. In response to the DOJ's acknowledgment of challenges in proving manipulation by the Chinese government, our findings present the following circumstantial evidence: • Algorithmic Bias: TikTok's algorithms consistently amplify pro-CCP content and suppress anti-CCP narratives. • Content Origination: Much of the pro-CCP content originates from state-linked entities, including media outlets and influencers. • Psychological Impact: Survey data shows significant shifts in user attitudes towards China, especially among heavy TikTok users, indicating successful indoctrination. These points collectively indicate a systematic manipulation of information, suggesting that propaganda produced by state actors and orchestrated through assets owned or influenced by them shapes user perceptions at a massive scale.

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The CCP's Digital Charm Offensive: How TikTok's Search Algorithm and Pro-China Influence Networks Indoctrinate GenZ Users in the United States

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