Propaganda and violence – algorithm drives TikTok users to Wagner videos

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Hundreds of TikTok videos are promoting the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which is fighting in the war in Ukraine. You see acts of violence, such as the brutal execution of a soldier, and calls to kill Ukrainians. About 500 videos are said to violate the guidelines of the Chinese platform, only ten have been removed.

However, a video of the execution of a suspected Russian mercenary who had switched sides had already been viewed at least 900,000 times, according to officials at fact-checking service Newsguard. In total, the affected videos were clicked more than a billion times. Among other things, violence is shown that the Wagner group allegedly committed or content that glorifies violence (160 videos). Many other videos advocate violence against Ukrainians (500 videos). Here you hear, for example, that the population is being murdered because they are Nazis.

Violation of Policy
According to Newsguard, hundreds of videos used as propaganda and recruiting tools for the private military violate TikTok policies. In it, for example, the aforementioned performance is trivialized with cheerful music. In the course of the investigation, the platform is said to have removed ten videos. In response to a Newsguard request, TikTok referenced the Community Guidelines, which clearly state “that we do not tolerate people using our platform to threaten or incite violence or to spread attacks or abuse based on nationality or other characteristics of people worth protecting. . The platform will take action against associated content, it said.

1.5 million users in Austria
According to the fact-checking service, TikTok’s algorithm is driving users towards the violent videos about the Wagner group. When an analyst searched for the term “Wagner,” additions like “execution” and “sledgehammer” were suggested. TikTok is operated by ByteDance, an internet giant that is partly owned by the Chinese government. In Austria, the platform is used by about 1.5 million people, not just young people.

The Russian mercenary group Wagner is deployed in Latin America, African countries and Ukraine. For a long time she acted in secret, but now more and more often appears in public. The mercenaries are accused of serious human rights violations, including torture and targeted killings.

Source: Krone

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