Media Literacy Tip: Meta Is Not Controlling Your TikTok Feed
I cannot stress enough about the importance of media literacy. With the recent back peddling that Meta did, removing fact checking filters from their platforms and boosting the ease on censorship, now more than ever, the importance of media literacy is paramount.
TikTok is all over the news as of late and since the brief US blackout of TikTok, users are loving the global reach it has suddenly produced in their feeds of accounts from all over the world. #globaltiktok #commonwealthtiktok #canadatiktok are tags that are exploding across the platform and users are loving this newly "refreshed" feed. Additionally, with Trump's announcements of wanting to implement Tariffs and with talk of purchasing Canada, Greenland, Denmark and Mexico, the Commonwealth countries are banding together on TikTok to fight this nonsense and show support for their home country, and fellow commonwealth countries, by following each other and developing new found friends and relationships. It has truly been great. But, of course, there are other crazy trends happening on the platform, which are pure nonsense. One majorly trending one surrounds Meta and their control over TikTok's content algorithm.
The New TikTok
As unfortunate as it was, this ban on TikTok by the US government has elevated the platform on a whole new level. Users all around the globe got to discover user accounts and content creators from near all corners of the world, without the dominating US based content. It has been a true breath of fresh air. I for one, am thrilled with this "refreshed" content that has come up on my FYP and I am ensuring to now customize my feed to include multinational accounts on a regular. With over 170 million US accounts, most of which are monetized, other voices had been drowned out until, the US had briefly been silenced. Enter countries from around the world.
Users from countries all over are expressing their "eye opening" experience and pure enthusiasm of reaching a whole new audience and fresh content - many posting for the first time ever on the platform, even after years of just following content, regarding their refreshed feeds and love for the explosion of non US content. People are banding together and creating relationships and connections, regardless of political views and certain beliefs, eager to learn about their new connections and home countries - this is what social media is all about. However, some have also been banding together spreading false rumours about Meta controlling this newly "refreshed" experience and publishing direction on how to "put it back to the way it was" before the ban happened.
Disinformation or Misinformation?
Thousands of users, even top influencers and content creators, are preaching on how to get your feed reset back to seeing US content and news items instead of the more personal accounts and lack of trending news media. And their reasoning - TikTok Meta accounts are controlling your content feeds, and by blocking their accounts (Meta, Facebook, Instagram), everything will be reset back to the way it was before their screens went dark. Many have jumped on board to say that Meta has secretly purchased TikTok or forced TikTok to be sharing the same servers as Meta so that they can control everything that we are seeing. Whether this "Trend" is disinformation or misinformation is a bit clouded. But, one thing is for certain, it's absolute garbage and nothing but lies.
Many US content creators are angry about the shift of focus in their audience and are doing everything they can to get you back to interact with their content - anything to reset your feed and put it back to the monopolizing and familiar way it was - all about them. Afterall, they are getting paid by the likes, follows and views that you provide so now that the audience is running from that, and shifting to a more personalized and intimate content feed, it's no surprise they might be deliberately trying to misinform you. That being said, I'm sure there are many who have just fallen for a record setting trend and immediately jumped on the bandwagon to get views, not realizing it is spreading false information. Either way, fact checking by you needs to be your number one priority before joining this fake information conga line.
Meta Has No Control of TikTok
I cannot stress enough about the importance of media literacy. With the recent back peddling that Meta did, removing fact checking filters from their platforms and boosting the ease on censorship, now more than ever, the importance of media literacy is paramount. No, Meta is not controlling your TikTok content. Meta has no relationship or control over TikTok in any manner, shape or form. Blocking the Facebook account (which by the way has been on the platform since 2022), or other Meta accounts, does not free you from a "Meta Jail", as so many are preaching is the result. There is something happening but, it's not what they think is actually happening. Let me explain further (or you can watch my candid post on TikTok below, venting my frustration of fake news, mob mentality, and explaining how the TikTok algorithm works and what is happening when you block these or any accounts).
@mindset0fbrett A moment to vent. Stop pushing garbage! Do your fact checking! #meta #blocking #duediligence #dontbelievethehype #iamcanadian #medialiteracy ♬ original sound - MindsetOfBrett🇨🇦
The Magical Algorithm
The TikTok algorithm is truly unique and amazingly sensitive. This is why it is loved so and many platforms wish they had it. If you decide to block a user account on the platform, this tells the algorithm that you do not want this users content. It then makes minor adjustments with your feed to remove that type of content in your FYP and replace it with something else and/or with more content that you have expressed you do like. So, blocking a Meta platform account, or any account, tells TikTok you don't want to see this user or their type of content and therefore, it slightly adjusts your feed with different content.
When users have followed this suggestion blindly and blocked the Facebook account for example, some may have experienced a slight change in their FYP, showing updated content (while some saw no change). This has given them the impression that by blocking this account, it has "reset" their FYP and therefore proves that the Facebook account was somehow blocking or controlling their content. No, you have just fallen into the propaganda hype.
Mob Mentality
And, as per usual, mob mentality sets in, everyone jumps on the "Ban Meta Accounts on TikTok" bandwagon, preach the conspiracy theories and swear up and down on it's legitimacy... instead of doing a little fact checking.
Now, I'm no big fan of Meta either (though I do love my Quest2 VR headset) and trying to use Facebook over the past 2 years is incredibly painful - full of sponsored and pushed content with nothing I actually want to see. I haven't even truly been back on it since they have removed the content filtering as I am quite sure it will be yet another bombardment of disinformation. But, as much as we may not like Meta social platforms, we can't throw them under the bus for a false accusation of controlling TikTok. This is where ensuring you are educated on media literacy is paramount. Whether scrolling Meta Apps without their fact checkers, or whether you are surfing another social platform or on the web itself, we are all forced to decipher what is real and what is fake. Is it really that far fetched that we should be checking facts before we invest faith or belief? No, most definitely not.
What was truly surprising to me when presented with this conspiracy theory for the umpteenth time, was that it was coming from top creators and influencers on TikTok. I get some users will post or boost this kind of content, as they are all for the conspiracy theory news, but seriously - legit influencers and content creators? This helps prove the disinformation theory. Content creators and influencers need to do fact checking before blasting out false information otherwise, as you guessed it... mob mentality ensues.
Of course, when I brought it to their attention in their post's comment section, my comments were quickly removed by the creators and some even blocked me. Again, a vote for proof that this was the spread of disinformation and not misinformation. And yes, by blocking me, whether they want to accept it or not, it slightly changed their algorithm preferences!
Media Literacy
The importance of media literacy is more so now than ever before. With Meta's fact checking now shut down and censorship put on the "mild setting", fake news is once again more rampant than ever. Knowing what is truth is important to everyone yet, so many don't check for legitimacy - they simply react emotionally and immediately jump aboard the misinformation train. I truly believe that this was purposeful disinformation - intentional in an attempt to get users back to US media "normal" like it was before TikTok was "woke". And, going all-in for mob mentality to take over, they knew it would spread like wildfire. This now becomes misinformation as many users pass along and preach the originating disinformation, not realizing the original information was fake. Then, hoards jump aboard and in a flash, hundreds of thousands of users, some not even on TikTok, are now convinced Meta is controlling TikTok content and probably most of what's on the Internet.
Believing everything you see and read on the Internet is a dangerous practice. Sadly it's becoming more and more prevalent these days. Misinformation and disinformation are running rampant and it is up to us to end it. I can't even count the amount of times my children have come to me with absolutely ludicrous "facts" they have heard on the Internet and I have had to explain to them to not believe everything presented to them on the web and social media platforms. Do your research, ask questions, collect the data and check again with factual sources. Not knowing something is perfectly normal and in no way should anyone be embarrassed of not knowing something. We are all learning, constantly. Think critically and understand the tech and algorithms that shape what we see. Our commitment to discerning fact from fiction can help build a more informed society focused on truth rather than deceit. Regardless of how some may try to distort or hide it, the truth is out there, patiently waiting for you to learn it.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 64% of Americans believe that fake news confuses them about actual facts. Though the awareness is growing, simply knowing about disinformation is not enough to fight against its spread. In a 2023 survey, 75% of participants admitted they shared content due to strong emotional reactions, showcasing the power of emotional appeal over rational judgment.
Best Practices to Stop the Spread
To protect yourself from disinformation, consider these practical steps:
- Verify Sources: Always check the credibility of the information you're consuming. Look for reports from multiple reliable outlets.
- Skepticism is Key: Be cautious about headlines crafted for clicks. Read beyond the headlines to get the full story before forming conclusions.
- Use Fact-Checking Sites: Visit platforms like FactCheck.org and Snopes.com to validate questionable information. These resources can be invaluable in identifying misleading claims.
- Educate Yourself: Learning about disinformation tactics can empower you to spot false claims more effectively.
