New Report: Tik Tok Pushes Harmful Content Every 39 Seconds

A new NGO report released Thursday claims TikTok's algorithm targets "vulnerable teens" and recommends "harmful" content to them, sometimes as rapidly as every 27 to 39 seconds.

The report, from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, defines harmful content as content about topics like eating disorders, weight shaming, self-harm, and sexual assault.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of the organization, called the results "every parent's nightmare."

The center's researchers conducted the study by signing up eight new accounts in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, setting them to a minimum age of 13, and watching and liking videos that discussed body image and mental health. Half of the accounts had usernames with "loseweight" in them and were deemed "vulnerable" accounts by the researchers, while the other half were deemed "standard" accounts without a "loseweight" username.

According to the researchers' findings, once the social media app's algorithm kicked in, content about suicide surfaced on the "standard" accounts' feed as early as 2.6 minutes in, and content about eating disorders popped up within 8 minutes. "Vulnerable" accounts, meanwhile, were recommended three times as many harmful videos and 12 times as many self-harm videos as the "standard" accounts.

When reached by Good Morning America, TikTok pushed back on the report, pointing out the study's small sample size, and argued researchers' use of the app did not reflect users' "real-world behavior patterns" and activities on TikTok.

The company reiterated that content about disordered eating and similar topics violates the app's community guidelines and is taken down once identified by its keyword detection systems, or flagged by community members or external partners to TikTok's moderation team.

TikTok has come under scrutiny in the past as it has grown into one of the most popular social media apps. Earlier this spring, the National Institutes of Health launched research into how apps like TikTok could be linked to addiction and impact teenagers' brains.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use, or other mental health crises, please call or text the new three-digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Britney Spears has been posting nudes on her Instagram since the beginning of the year. (And there's no sign that she's slowing down.) Though she posts and deletes sometimes and even deactivates her account for periods at a time, one thing remains certain: she will figure out a way to post a nude. In between her dance videos, inspirational quotes and throwback photos, the "Hold Me Closer" singer isn't afraid to show the world her naked body.

After being freed from her 13-year conservatorship in November 2021, Britney wasted no time in celebrating her freedom online in any way which she chooses. This hasn't stopped concerned fans from thinking there is still something wrong, with bizarre videos and long-winded captions. The pop icon also never hesitated to call out her family over the course of 2022. Spears said in September that the conservatorship and its fallout had left her feeling that she would rather “s— in [her] f—ing pool than join the entertainment business.” Though there are no plans at the moment, Elton John wants to collaborate with Britney Spears again. Meanwhile,  X Factor's Simon Cowell also expressed that he wishes to have her back as a judge.

One huge milestone for Britney, post-conservatorship, was her marriage to Sam Asghari in June. A slew of celebrities attended her big day, including Paris Hilton, Madonna, Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Ansel Elgort and Donatella Versace.

Take a look below at the 25 times Britney Spears has posed nude on Instagram: