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Network Contagion Research Institute Intelligence Report 9 Tibet ● ● ● ● Pro-China: Official promotional content, state-registered tourism companies, frontier influencer content, idyllic portrayals of rural life, echoing the CCP narrative points that Tibet has been liberated Anti-China: Mentions of Tibetan liberation, coverage of the exilic government and political statements from the Dalai Lama, videos containing politically charged hashtags like #freetibet, #SaveTibet and #proudtibetan, footage of protests, and details of Tibetan cultural erasure by the CCP Neutral: Informational presentations, unbiased historical content, coverage of Tibetan Buddhism, its rituals and material culture Irrelevant: Content unrelated to Tibet, reactions to Tibetan culture, and Tibetan consumer & folk-art products Tiananmen ● ● ● ● Pro-China: Patriotic songs, official travel promotions, flag raising and other nationalist events, denials of the massacre and revisionist historical takes, scenic pictures of the square that bear no mention of the massacre Anti-China: Condemnations of the massacre, commemorations worldwide of the massacre by victims and dissidents, "Tank Man" imagery, memes highlighting the event Neutral: News coverage of worldwide anniversaries for the massacre, tangential mentions of Tiananmen Irrelevant: 13 Content unrelated to Tiananmen Square or the 1989 massacre DATA ANALYSIS User Journey Data User journey data shows patterns consistent with the conclusion that TikTok is suppressing anti-China content in order to diminish the reach of narratives critical of the CCP (see Figure 1). For all four search terms examined, TikTok contained the lowest proportion of anti-China content compared to Instagram of YouTube. Simultaneously, we observed that pro-China and irrelevant content constituted between 61%-93% of search results on TikTok, illustrating how flattering or distracting content is systematically amplified as a way to subsume the low proportion anti-China coverage extant on the platform. 13 Note that 8 videos (<3%) served for “Tiananmen” on TikTok contained scenic content of the Tianmen mountains; these were categorized as irrelevant.

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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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