According to reports, a number of TikTok accounts, some with followers under the age of 16, have posted a catalog of Machetes, zombie-style blades, and samurai swords and are offering to sell and send them to the UK. According to the UK media portal The Times, at least two of the accounts posting images of these huge knives with broad blades claim to be headquartered in England.
The fact that there are young people under the age of 16 using machetes on these accounts is already cause for concern
According to a Portsmouth-based account, machetes can be purchased for as little as £30. It has received almost 10,000 likes and 2,000 followers. QR codes are embedded in its TikTok videos. When scanned, it directs to an encrypted Telegram channel containing hundreds of testimonials from ostensibly British buyers. The collection also includes over 200 photographs of knives, fist-load weapons, and guns, as well as mail receipts.
According to the research, there are many different types and sizes of machetes. The fact that there are young people under the age of 16 using machetes on these TikTok accounts is already cause for concern because doing so could be harmful. On Tiktok, there is a tonne of interesting content, but this kind of material, where kids may read the reviews of British buyers of “zombie knives,” is inappropriate. These knives can not only be dangerous to sell, but they can also be risky for the people who purchase them.
TikTok has faced criticism before for the kind of content it makes available on its site, but this is not the first time. A study conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) in December of last year found that some TikTok users receive suggestions for self-harm and eating disorder content shortly after signing up for the service.
Researchers impersonated 13-year-old users of TikTok who were interested in body image and mental health-related content to establish accounts for the study. It was found that after only 2.6 minutes of app usage, TikTok’s algorithm began proposing suicide-related content. The results showed that eating disorder content was recommended in just 8 minutes.
ByteDance launched TikTok, the social media platform with the fastest rate of growth, in 2017
James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said, “The new report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate underscores why it is way past time for TikTok to take steps to address the platform’s dangerous algorithmic amplification.” “TikTok’s algorithm is bombarding teens with harmful content that promote suicide, eating disorders, and body image issues that are fueling the teens’ mental health crisis.”
The Chinese company ByteDance launched TikTok, the social media platform with the fastest rate of growth, in 2017. Personal information about a user, such as likes and viewing history, has an impact on the algorithms. TikTok has been off-limits in the US due to worries that China would request data from the app belonging to US users. In response to US demands forcing ByteDance to sell the app, the White House had been attempting to reach an agreement with TikTok for the implementation of new data protection measures.