TikTok Lite Exposes Users to Harmful Content, Say Mozilla Researchers
TikTok Lite, the low-bandwidth version of the popular video platform used widely across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, has come under scrutiny for exposing users to harmful content due to a lack of safety features. This is according to a recent report from Mozilla researchers.
Safety Concerns
The report highlights significant deficiencies in TikTok Lite’s ability to protect users compared to the standard version of the app. Researchers noted that TikTok Lite Save Data lacks crucial user controls such as the ability to filter offensive content, block unwanted keywords, and tools to manage screen time and app addiction.
Additionally, the app fails to provide warning labels or banners for potentially harmful content, including dangerous pranks, misinformation, and AI-generated content.
TikTok’s Response
TikTok has dismissed Mozilla’s findings, asserting that the report contains several factual inaccuracies and misrepresents the company’s approach to safety. According to a TikTok spokesperson, “Content that breaks our rules is removed from TikTok Lite in the same way as our main app, and we offer numerous safety features which we would have explained if Mozilla asked us before publishing their report.”
Mozilla, however, claims that TikTok did not respond to their evidence. “So far, they have not refuted any of the evidence that has been presented,” said Odanga Madung, the Mozilla researcher who led the investigation.
Regulatory Disparities
The report sheds light on the uneven regulatory scrutiny that major tech companies face globally. While companies like TikTok have encountered increasing regulatory pressure in developed markets such as the U.S. and Europe, this has not been the case in many emerging markets with less stringent oversight.
For instance, TikTok suspended a gamification feature in a version of TikTok Lite launched in Europe earlier this year after EU regulators deemed it addictive and harmful. However, the “Save Data” version available in emerging markets has not faced similar regulatory action.
The Risk to Users
“TikTok’s ‘bite-size’ Lite app is a safety hazard for more than one billion of its users,” Madung stated. “It’s the equivalent of removing seat belts and airbags from a car and then selling it to an unsuspecting customer.” Madung suggested that the omission of safety features in TikTok Lite was likely an attempt to reduce the app’s required bandwidth.
Similar to “lite” versions of Facebook, Instagram, and X, the Android-only TikTok Lite is unavailable in the U.S. and most of Europe. Instead, it targets users in regions where mobile data is expensive, phones are generally more basic, and network coverage is less reliable.
According to Sensor Tower data, TikTok Lite has been downloaded over 1 billion times since its launch in 2018, reflecting its popularity in these regions.
Policy Violations
The researchers argue that the lack of safety features in TikTok Lite contradicts TikTok’s own policy on Dangerous Acts and Activity, which states that the company does not permit “showing or promoting dangerous activity and challenges.” They also claimed that TikTok’s decision to forgo these safety measures was a deliberate choice rather than a technical necessity.
“The safety features TikTok Lite lacks aren’t complex and are perfectly compatible with a lower-bandwidth app,” said Claudio Agosti, co-founder of AI Forensics, which collaborated with Mozilla on the study. “TikTok’s decision to ignore these safety measures is clearly a choice, not a technical necessity.”
This investigation underscores the need for consistent safety measures across all versions of digital platforms, regardless of the market they serve.
