TikTok confirms that it boosts videos by invalidating its own algorithm: it did it with Qatar 2022 and Taylor Swift | apps | Applications | Social networks | Spain | Mexico | Colombia | TECHNOLOGY

an executive of TikTok has confirmed that the platform promotes videos to users in the ‘feed’ of Para Ti. After learning months ago that employees could make any content go viral, it has now been revealed that “a very small percentage” is promoted if it is related to events considered important, such as the Qatar 2022 World Cup or the arrival of Taylor Swift in the app.

“We promote content like the World Cup or when Taylor Swift joined and sometimes improve it beyond the rating it would normally have received from the recommendation systemsimilar to how Netflix promotes a featured video or movie on the home pagesays Jeff Louisma, head of cyber and data defense for TikTok’s US data security division, at a South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference.

LOOK: Twitter: misogynistic accounts increased by 69% since Elon Musk took over the social network

However, Louisma assures that this “promotion” is not done lightly. “This boost applies to a very small percentage of videos and is subject to our business rules that they are transparent within the company”, he adds.

By the end of 2022, TikTok revealed to Forbes that its employees in the United States could turn any video viral with practically a button. This is called “heating” (heat), which is related to ‘raising the temperature’ for everyone to notice.

LOOK: Instagram wants to compete with Twitter: it would be preparing a decentralized social network with text posts

With this revelation it was learned that the content of Para Ti was not necessarily linked to the videos with which users interacted. On the contrary, anyone who a TikTok worker thought was a candidate for going ‘viral’ could appear.

Most worryingly, this was not necessarily restricted to user-uploaded content, but also to companies or content creators. That is to say, TikTok might have been promoting or pushing videos for business ties. In addition, the employees pointed out that “they have felt abandoned to their fate”.