A study by Taiwan-based DoubleThink Lab found a correlation between frequent TikTok use among Taiwanese people and increased agreement with pro-China narratives, including criticisms of Taiwan's domestic issues and the prospect of unification with China. This raises concerns about China's information warfare efforts through the Chinese-owned platform.
Frequent TikTok users in Taiwan more likely to agree with pro-China narratives, study finds
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A study by Taiwan-based DoubleThink Lab found a correlation between frequent TikTok use among Taiwanese people and increased agreement with pro-China narratives, including criticisms of Taiwan's domestic issues and the prospect of unification with China. This raises concerns about China's information warfare efforts through the Chinese-owned platform.
Trending- 1 2019: The Guardian revealed ByteDance used TikTok to advance Beijing’s foreign policy aims.
- 2 2023: Rutgers University study found TikTok algorithms amplify pro-CCP content.
- 3 March (current year): DoubleThink Lab surveyed people across Taiwan.
- 4 Recently: DoubleThink Lab report published.
- Increased agreement with pro-China narratives among TikTok users
- Concerns about TikTok's role in China's information warfare
- Existing restrictions on TikTok use on government devices in Taiwan
- Potential for outright bans in other countries (e.g., US)
What: A study found a correlation between frequent TikTok use in Taiwan and agreement with pro-China narratives.
When: Survey conducted in March; report published recently.
Where: Taiwan.
Why: Concerns that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is used to spread pro-CCP propaganda as part of China's information warfare to influence Taiwan towards unification.
How: DoubleThink Lab conducted a survey asking questions about politics, democracy, and views on unification; analyzed correlation between TikTok use and responses.