Despite pledges to crack down on hatred, a new study alleges that the social media platform TikTok continues to traffic videos that promote white supremacy and anti-Black racism, according to the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
The study had researchers examine 1,030 TikTok videos, of which they found nearly a third amplified white supremacy. This has led the counter-extremism think tank, which says its study is the largest to examine hate on the platform, to raise questions on how effective TikTok is in policing its content.
Of the videos analyzed, from over three months in 2020, the study found that 312 amplified white supremacy, USA Today reported. The short-form videos included support for genocide conspiracy theories that claim white people's existence is under threat and music from white power bands.
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While the largest category was depicting white supremacy, some videos also spewed hate about different ethnic communities. Clips spreading hate about Asians, members of the LGBTQ, migrants, and refugees, women, Muslims, and Jews were all observed.
"By and large, the majority of content in our sample did not achieve such views like this, but there was still a significant cluster that did, and this raises questions over how TikTok's algorithms promote explicitly hateful content to users on the platform," strategic dialogue institute analyst Ciaran O'Connor told USA TODAY.
The 10 most popular videos of the 312 had a combined view total of 3.5 million and were produced by Paul Miller, an extremist known as "Gypsy Crusader." His content spreads racist and antisemitic rhetoric through social media.
Miller was arrested earlier this year on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and he can be seen in a video that reached 354,5000 views before being taken down, telling a Black person they are "as Black as the ace of spades."
Black people were also frequent targets of hate videos, with some mocking or celebrating the death of George Floyd.
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The study found that other racist terminology like "jogger exterminator," was used when talking about the killing of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot and killed by two white men while out for a run last year.
"Not only are communities, minorities, or groups of people like African Americans being targeted, those who target them are also being praised, shared, and glorified on the platform," O'Connor said.
Now researchers have warned that if TikTok does not get the content on their social media under control, it could put kids and teens at risk of exposure to racist ideologies.