Social Media Platforms' Reckoning: The Harmful Impact of TikTok's Algorithm on People of Color

Abstract

Social media platforms have become integral to people's daily lives. Societies growing reliance on these platforms calls for a greater understanding of how these platforms impact and engage with people of color. TikTok's innovative use of recommendation algorithms has disrupted the social media industry. This Paper exposes the harm faced by people of color on TikTok using Professor Anita L. Allen's "Black Opticon" framework. It uncovers instances of discriminatory predation and exclusion on the platform and expands the framework to distinguish between discrimination platforms perpetuate actively (platform predation) and passively (private predation). Due to a lack of transparency surrounding algorithms, the full extent of the issue of discriminatory exclusion and predation on TikTok is not yet fully understood. However, the findings presented in this Paper serve as a warning to other social media platforms using recommendation algorithms.

Keywords: Algorithms, Social Media, Artificial intelligence, TikTok, Privacy, Racial Bias; Algorithmic Bias