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'TikTok is having a bad war,' say disinformation experts
The war in Ukraine has rapidly positioned TikTok as the number one source of misinformation thanks to its gigantic number of users and minimal filtering of content.
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TikTok is a breeding ground of misinformation about the war in Ukraine, with an expert in disinformation claiming he has never 'seen another platform with so much false content.' (ANN/The Statesman)
T
he war in Ukraine has rapidly positioned TikTok as the number one source of misinformation thanks to its gigantic number of users and minimal filtering of content, experts say.
Every day, Shayan Sardarizadeh, a journalist with the BBC's disinformation team, ploughs through a hallucinatory mix of fake and misleading information about the war being spewed out on the video-sharing site.
"TikTok is really not having a good war," he told AFP.
"I haven't seen another platform with so much false content," he added.
"We've seen it all: videos from past conflicts being recycled, genuine footage presented in a misleading way, things that are so obviously false but still get tens of millions of views."
He said the most disturbing were fake live-streams in which users pretended to be on the ground in Ukraine but were using footage from other conflicts or even video games -- and then asking for money to support their "reporting".
"Millions tune in and watch. They even add fake gunshots and explosions," said Sardarizadeh.
