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Covert content manipulation

Definition

The government's central concern that China could secretly direct TikTok's recommendation algorithm — without users' knowledge — to suppress certain viewpoints, amplify others, or sow social discord to serve Chinese geopolitical goals.

Examples

  • The government argued covert content manipulation is a national security threat, not protected speech; petitioners countered that regulating based on what content a platform might display is an impermissible government purpose.

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