TikTok recently removed a tool that allowed researchers and others to analyze the popularity of hashtags on its app. The change, as reported by The New York Times, occurred shortly after researchers published a report utilizing data from the tool that criticized the company.
According to The New York Times, the tool was one of the few publicly accessible methods for tracking specific hashtag popularity. Similar to other social media platforms, TikTok has made it challenging for external parties to monitor content dissemination within its app.
The tool in question, known as Creative Center, provides data on hashtag popularity to potential advertisers and other users. Researchers at Rutgers’ Network Contagion Institute utilized Creative Center’s search function to monitor hashtags considered “sensitive” to Chinese government interests. By comparing the prevalence of these hashtags between TikTok and Instagram, the researchers concluded that numerous “sensitive” topics were…
2024-01-09 20:54:54
Original article from www.engadget.com