NCRI Report - The CCP's Digital Charm Offensive: How TikTok's Search Algorithm And Pro-China Influence Networks Indoctrinate GenZ Users In The United States - Info and Reading Options

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<b>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY </b><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><div>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. </div><div><br /></div><div>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.</div>

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