With the continuous digitalisation of the world, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that social media have become a new frontier for both communication and content creation. Whether you’re an individual or a brand, the impact of social media is undeniable.
An especially fascinating phenomenon is TikTok – a social media app that mainly focuses on short videos, typically no longer than a minute. Born in China, the platform has made significant inroads into markets worldwide, with the UK being no exception.
However, the thing with the rapid growth of social media platforms such as TikTok is that it can be hard to control and moderate the content that is being pushed there, especially considering the amount being published daily, as well as the fact that it is mostly user-generated.
One question at the heart of these discussions is: can the UK control TikTok content? We will explore this topic using vaping as a case in point.
“Vaping, the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, produced by an e-cigarette or similar device, has been growing in popularity, particularly amongst younger demographics.” say experts from Vapekit.
Due to the increase in people who engage in vaping, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many are creating and sharing content about it, whether that be showing their own devices, giving tips to less experienced users, or sharing their experiences with vaping.
While the health and environmental implications of vaping are subject to ongoing scientific research, there is a consensus that vaping might not be risk-free. However, it is considerably less harmful than traditional smoking. This is one of the reasons why the portrayal of vaping on platforms like TikTok is a contentious issue, given its potential to influence the behavior of its vast user base.
As we already mentioned, one of the main problems of regulating content on TikTok is the fact that it is user-generated, which isn’t the case for commercial content. Despite their potential influence on those watching, TikTok videos do not fall under the category of formal advertising, which is why it is harder to govern rules over them, contrary to traditional ads.
There are, of course, TikTok guidelines, which do contain provisions related to content about vaping. However, enforcement is inherently challenging due to the sheer volume of content posted daily on the platform. This vast scale leads to potential inconsistencies in content moderation.
Another thing that might potentially make it harder to stop users from engaging with specific content is the fact that TikTok is an algorithm-driven social media platform, which means that what you see there is based on your behavior and preferences. So, even if certain content is deemed inappropriate or harmful by some standards, it might still find its way to users if the algorithm determines it fits their engagement patterns.
One of the ways in which the British government is trying to address those concerns, enforcing more control over what content is uploaded and provided to social media’s audience, is the Online Safety Bill.
First mentioned in 2021, it’s been in the works for some time now. If approved, the bill would provide a new framework for dealing with harmful content on online platforms, potentially giving Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, the authority to regulate content on social media platforms, including TikTok.
Once it is implemented, if a social media platform fails to remove harmful content, it can face a number of consequences, from being given a substantial fine to even getting its services blocked within the UK. It’s important to remember, however, that just how effective the Online Safety Bill would be depends largely on the specific rules that Ofcom establishes and the strength of their enforcement.
Of course, the Online Safety Bill is not without flaws. One of the biggest concerns regarding the implementation of this new set of regulations is, aside from the vast amount of content, the fact that there is a fine balance between ensuring user safety and protecting freedom of expression. An over-regulated environment could potentially stifle the creativity and individuality that define platforms like TikTok.
TikTok is, without a doubt, full of content that, if misinterpreted, can be potentially harmful to the masses, especially when you consider the fact that a major part of the audience consists of young people, who tend to be more easily influenced.
So, can the UK control and regulate what is being posted on the social media platform for the sake of all?
That depends. Generally speaking, as we already mentioned, regulating content and removing potentially harmful uploads is challenging due to how many videos are being published daily. The Online Safety Bill, if passed, can definitely help with it, but it does come with challenges on its own.
Truthfully though, as of now, only time will be able to tell whether the UK manages to fully take control of what is being posted on platforms like TikTok.
