The massive disinformation that the TikTok network is rolling out is becoming dangerous, not only when it comes to manipulating people politically, but also for their health. A study conducted by the University of London reveals a shocking reality: 81% of the videos on this platform promote miraculous cures of various types of cancer by rolling out false information. The platform also feeds various conspiracy theories coming from so-called experts that convince users almost instantly.
TikTok, a gateway to misinformation online. Archive
The study by the British experts underlines the huge danger that this platform represents, especially for young people, because they also use TikTok as a source of information. And health information has a very high weight in their searches. “The sheer amount of cancer misinformation on TikTok is alarming. The fact that 81% of the videos contain false information should raise an alarm for the authorities. The platform’s algorithm encourages content creators to take advantage of vulnerable people, which is not fair.” said Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker, Lecturer in Sociology at City St George’s, University of London.
How TikTok Algorithms Work
TikTok’s algorithms, the authors of the paper admit, favor the spread of misinformation, and on the other hand encourage users to accept conspiratorial ideas or purchase potentially dangerous products. What is the method that never fails? Content creators obsessively promote certain people who recommend themselves as doctors, pharmacists, specialists, people in the pharma industry, university professors. They rely on conspiracist views and present certain remedies as being intentionally hidden by the “system”. This framing gives credibility to the claims of the creators, but also to the promoted cures. It’s a message like: this remedy exists, but they hid it from you, they didn’t make it known, they don’t want you to benefit from it, etc. Content creators also present TikTok as a platform from which to access health information censored by the mainstream media. Furthermore, the platform allows creators to add links to e-commerce stores and websites where users can purchase the advertised products that are either dangerous or ineffective.
A pharmacist warns: “Nobody knows if that product is genuine”
Among the things promoted in the analyzed videos were oil of oregano, apricot kernels and products used in deworming dogs, all of which were presented as cancer cures. However, they are not only ineffective, but can significantly affect health. The research comes in the context where in Romania, because many oncological drugs are not found in pharmacies, they are bought online, unknowingly. Beatrice Speteanu, pharmacist and president of the Association of Traditional Pharmacies and Practitioners, said that patients should not fall into this trap and should avoid such unknown resources. “No one can prove that that drug is the original or, if it is original, that it was kept in proper conditions and does not endanger life.”
The phenomenon of the sale of oncological drugs on the Internet has gained momentum in Romania in recent years. The reason? Patients say that they have difficult access to treatments due to the lack of financing in the system, and thus end up getting them from the Internet, sometimes even at lower prices. “For example, in the pharmacy, the medicine called Bosulif costs around 13,000 lei, Iclusig costs around 24,000 lei, and Jakavi is around 14,000 lei. However, there are drugs that are very difficult to find in pharmacies, as they are attractive for the export market”, Beatrice Speteanu also declared. Along with these oncology ads, insulin pens are also sold on the Internet, as well as Ozempic, a drug that was withdrawn from Romania this year and that successfully treats type 2 diabetes.
The representative of patients with chronic diseases: “The lack of medicines is widespread”
“The medicine crisis is widespread. The problem is old and depends on the system, on the way the legislation was conceived, especially from the point of view of drug policy”stated for “Adevărul” Radu Gănescu, president of the Association of patients with chronic conditions. “And it is not only cancer patients who are missing out. But, unlike others, who can interrupt or take breaks, cancer patients don’t really have an alternative. They are really in a very serious situation, because the lack of treatment puts their lives in danger”, Radu Gănescu also explained. “The treatment is done on a fixed schedule, in a fixed period that you cannot postpone. And the phenomenon of the lack of medicine is such that sometimes it is difficult for you to understand why this is happening. But generally speaking, there are three important factors that influence the presence or absence of drugs on the market”, continued the patient.
TikTok, a gateway to radicalization of users
British specialists also pointed out a dangerous aspect: the technological possibilities of TikTok make the application susceptible to radicalizing users. Radicalization is achieved by endless scrolling of the same type of conspiratorial content algorithmically recommended to users seeking cures for cancer. Second, short videos can become a gateway to radical views, as these videos commonly direct users to personal biographies, websites, and e-commerce stores. Third, online radicalization and harm can be facilitated by TikTok because the app provides accessible monetization avenues that incentivize content creators to profit from fake cancer cures.
