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TikTok is tweaking its algorithm to give users more control

The platform wants to help people avoid too much of the same content.

TikTok

The platform is giving users more control over their feed.

Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

TikTok doesn't want its users to see more of the same types of content. The platform is tweaking its recommendation algorithm so one topic, like extreme dieting or breakups, doesn't overtake a user's For You page, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The goal is to give users more autonomy over their feed and prioritize mental health. In addition to shifting its algorithm, TikTok is working on a tool that would give users more of a say over their feed by choosing words or hashtags related to content they don't want to see.

TikTok tweaking its algorithm before being required to puts the company in stark contrast with Facebook. The company recently made changes, such as giving users more control over what they see, but only after leaked documents revealed everything from Instagram's role in perpetuating poor body image to the way Facebook's News Feed pushes harmful content.

At the same time, TikTok is testing its success here. TikTok recently surpassed 1 billion monthly active users, and it primarily wants to keep those people on the platform — and increase the amount of time they spend on it — with a formula that takes likes, comments and viewing time into account. While platforms like Facebook have tried feeding users more of the same content to keep them around, TikTok seems to be testing whether it can do just as well by doing the opposite.

Sarah Roach

Sarah (Sarahroach_) writes for Source Code at Protocol. She's based in Boston and can be reached at sroach@protocol.com

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