TikTok says its varying For You recommendations to avoid harmful content holes

TikTok is changing its For You Page algorithm to prevent users from seeing too many similar videos that could be harmful when viewed in clusters, the company said today. The goal is to steer users away from clusters of videos that might “reinforce a negative personal experience,” listing extreme dieting, sadness, and breakup content as examples.

“At TikTok, we recognize that too much of anything, whether it’s animals, fitness tips, or personal well-being journeys, doesn’t fit with the diverse discovery experience we aim to create,” the company says in its release. The For You feed uses metrics like how long a viewer lingers over content to recommend videos.

TikTok’s personalized recommendations algorithm has been the subject of scrutiny....

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