Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

TikTok's New Tool Will Expose Information About Its Algorithm The social media app is notorious for surfacing scarily relevant content to users' For You Pages.

By Emily Rella

From viral pranks to out-of-the-ordinary recipes, it can sometimes be shocking to see how relevant certain videos are when they pop up on your For You Page — with most TikTok users just chalking it up to some sort of mysterious algorithm.

But now the social media platform is pulling back the curtain on its sorcery by announcing a new tool that will allow users to see why a video is being recommended to them.

"Our system recommends content by ranking videos based on a combination of factors based on your activity on our app, which includes adjusting for things you indicate you're not interested in," the company explained in a statement. "Our goal is to serve a range of relevant and entertaining content."

The way the new tool will work is relatively simple.

Users will select the "share" option on a video that crosses their For You Page, which will then open up a list of options, including a question mark. By selecting the question mark, users will be brought to a page that says, "Why this video?"

The reasons will vary based on the videos that surfaced but will include several options: the video comes from an account the user allows or is suggested to follow; the video was created within their region; the video is popular content in their region; or simply that the video is similar in nature to other content that the user has interacted with in some way, through likes, searches, shares, and comments.

TikTok maintained that the new feature will help further their goal of being transparent with users and creators to create a more open platform. The company did not specify a date that the new tool would be rolling out but noted that it would be in the coming weeks.

TikTok has been under scrutiny lately. Legislators have put forth a proposal to ban the app in the U.S. because TikTok is run by Chinese-owned ByteDance, which has raised concerns about how much user information is being shared with the Chinese government.

TikTok reportedly had over 1.5 billion monthly active users as of Q3 of 2022.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Career

Is Consumer Services a Good Career Path for 2024? Here's the Verdict

Consumer services is a broad field with a variety of benefits and drawbacks. Here's what you should consider before choosing it as a career path.

Business News

'Creators Left So Much Money on the Table': Kickstarter's CEO Reveals the Story Behind the Company's Biggest Changes in 15 Years

In an interview with Entrepreneur, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor explains the decision-making behind the changes, how he approaches leading Kickstarter, and his advice for future CEOs.

Business Models

How to Become an AI-Centric Business (and Why It's Crucial for Long-Term Success)

Learn the essential steps to integrate AI at the core of your operations and stay competitive in an ever-evolving landscape.