TikTok said it had shut down three “covert influence networks” and removed more than one million fake or spam accounts targeting users in the Philippines ahead of the country’s recent midterm election, amid growing concerns over the role of social media in distorting the country’s political discourse.
The short-form video platform, owned by China’s ByteDance, disclosed the takedowns in an update published Wednesday from its Global Integrity Hub. According to the update, the accounts and networks targeted Filipino users by creating “inauthentic accounts in order to amplify narratives favouring certain politicians and criticising others”.
The three networks, operating locally, were detected and taken down in April – weeks before the May 12 midterm elections. Each involved dozens of accounts with thousands of followers, and appeared to be designed to exploit TikTok’s fast-growing reach among Filipino youth and influence online political debates ahead of polling day.
One of the networks had 124 accounts with more than 10,000 followers and was found to have repeatedly posted duplicative content. Another, with 36 accounts and nearly 19,000 followers, used fake identities to spread political messages. A third, comprising 29 accounts with just over 3,000 followers, used the Philippine flag for its user profile.
People attend the election campaign rally of senatorial candidates under the party of former Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila on May 8, ahead of the country’s midterm elections. Photo: AFP
TikTok also said it removed over 4,000 pieces of content that violated its policies on civic and election integrity, misinformation and AI-generated images.
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