this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2023
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TikTok’s algorithm will be optional in Europe (www.theverge.com)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago (3 children)

This is the best summary I could come up with:

TikTok users in Europe will be able to switch off the personalized algorithm behind its For You and Live feeds as the company makes changes to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

According to TikTok, disabling this function will show users “popular videos from both the places where they live and around the world” instead of content based on their personal interests.

To comply, TikTok’s search feature will also show content that’s popular in the user’s region, and videos under the “Following” and “Friends” feeds will be displayed in chronological order when a non-personalized view is selected.

Another change is that European users between the ages of 13 and 17 automatically won’t be targeted with personalized ads based on their online activities, rather than having to opt out with a toggle.

TikTok is one of 19 companies beholden to the DSA’s rules — alongside other services like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter (which Elon Musk is currently rebranding to X) — so it likely won’t be the only platform to make similar changes in Europe.

TikTok hasn’t provided a release date for any of these changes, but it says that it’s aiming to meet the required obligations by the DSA’s deadline of August 28th.

I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago

Nice, something like this was needed. I'm again glad that I live in EU.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nice!! Hopefully this will mean I can turn off those shitty suggested posts in instagram soon!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I can't do instagram. Place is just a massive advertisement for onlyfans lol.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

What? I don't see OF in my Instagram feed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I only use it to follow people I know irl. I never use the explore, or reels or any of the other crap.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

good bot

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Does it say the company will NOT track your views, or just that you will not be shown content based on tracking?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Instagram has an option to "disable" personal recommendations for 30 days, but it only pushes them to the end of your feed

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

But that’s the whole point of TikTok.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Agreed, but more privacy aware options is not a bad thing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Have you looked at a fresh YouTube frontpage without being logged in and no cookies and/or history? Sure privacy is nice and important but I don't know if it's worth it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I'm always saddened that the default suggestions are borderline right-esoteric videos at least when my IP is a German one. Although it's similar for Polish IPs

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean, if youtube would just provide me with the latest videos of my subs and from there the generic related video recommendations it would be better than it currently is.

Youtube used to be amazing to discover music in the same genres. Now it just suggests, what i already now, rarely every giving me the chance to get something new.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The subbox is for your subscriptions and the frontpage is what the algorithm suggests to you and for me it's mostly stuff that's relevant to me. Or at least stuff where I can see why an algorithm would think it'd be relevant to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't want to be the one to use it, but it's fair enough that some might. There's no harm in having both options.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fair. It would be nice if the algorithm was a bit more customizable (i.e. only counting likes, not watchtime, comments, etc)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That would be fantastic. Sometimes I want to watch what people send me, but not continue receiving the same kind of content, since it's unrelated to my personal interests.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Exactly. Or you come across something that you watch despite not wanting to, like a car accident (metaphor, not literal).

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Yeah, their algo is fun most of the time but it's easy to fall into a bubble and detach from reality. It's also quite transparent how often you're subjected to annoying A/B testing. I'm glad this is happening because it gives users ability to see general view and get more control over their experience.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

EU comes to the rescue again.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Interesting

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

While a step in the right direction, the issue is that this option will most likely be opt-out instead of opt-in and hidden deep in the settings. And we all know most people don't bother with changing settings.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

TikTok is absolutely scummy in how they nag you for access rights to phone features / data but I don't think there's a way to do this without adding third "Popular" tab next to Following and For You.

If they had this as a setting then it'd have to stay this way. Industry standard is to withhold such setting and constantly default to algorithmic page in the attempt to trap you there or make you tired of switching feed constantly.