Recent reports have raised questions about the use of a feature called “heating” on TikTok and ByteDance, the platform’s parent company. According to a Forbes report, six current and former employees of the social media platform and its parent company have stated that staff can use the feature to boost certain videos, pushing them onto more feeds. The feature is not labeled, and it is not the same as ads or sponsored content.
A spokesperson for TikTok has stated that the feature is used to “help diversify the content experience and introduce celebrities and emerging creators to the TikTok community”, and that it makes up approximately 0.002% of videos on For You feeds. The spokesperson also noted that TikTok is continuing to expand its “why this video” feature to provide more transparency around recommended content.
Internal documents reviewed by Forbes suggest that some employees have used the heating feature inappropriately, boosting their own personal accounts or accounts of people they know. This is against company policy.
As ByteDance faces pressure from officials concerned about the app being used as a tool for the Chinese government, the company has found itself in the spotlight. In December, it was reported that employees had improperly accessed user data from US-based TikTok users, and the app has been banned from government devices in at least 27 states.