As TikTok continues to face growing pressure in the US and UK, the company is signaling its commitment to promoting educational content on its app. The company announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its dedicated STEM stream across Europe, starting in the UK and Ireland, after first launching it in the US last year.
The STEM feed will begin to automatically appear alongside the “For You” and “Next” feeds for users under 18. Users over 18 can enable the STEM stream via the app’s “content preferences” settings. The stream includes English content with auto-translated subtitles.
TikTok says that since the feed launched in the US last year, 33% of users have turned on the STEM feed and a third of teens access it every week. The app has seen 24% growth in STEM-related content in the U.S. since the feed launched. Over the past three years, nearly 15 million STEM-related videos have been posted on the app globally.
The company is expanding its partnerships with Common Sense Networks and Poynter to evaluate all content appearing on the STEM feed. Common Sense Networks will review the content to ensure it is appropriate for the STEM stream, while Poynter will assess the reliability of the information. Content that does not meet these two checkpoints will not be eligible for the STEM stream.
The launch of the STEM stream comes as TikTok has been criticized for showing harmful content to children and teens, with rights groups alleging the app uses addictive design practices to keep users engaged most long possible.
In February, the European Union said it was investigating whether TikTok had violated the Digital Services Act, which includes rules to keep users safe online. The commission is studying whether the app does enough to prevent minors from finding inappropriate content and determines whether its design choices stimulate addictive behavior.
With today’s announcement, TikTok is seeking to present itself as more of an educational hub for its app’s millions of young users to counter criticism from lawmakers around the world. The company has previously used the STEM stream to counter claims that it would be harmful to younger users, as TikTok CEO Shou Chew touted the stream while testifying at two separate US Congressional hearings, the one in March 2023 and the other in January 2024.
techcrunch
