TikTok survey finds ‘hoax challenges’ are scaring teens. What’s being done?
Global News
Rumours about hoax challenges like 'Momo' are scaring teens who are using TikTok, according to a new survey. Now the app is promising to ramp up its user safety resources.
TikTok is vowing to step up its resources for users who get caught up in frightening hoaxes on the app, after a new report found fewer than a third of teens recognize these hoaxes as “clearly fake.”
The report, which TikTok commissioned and supported, also found that while many teens are distressed by the scary hoaxes they see on the app, less than half are seeking out help afterward.
The hoaxes vary, but a common one includes seemingly baseless warnings about a wide-eyed, dark-haired woman known as “Momo” who threatens users who don’t do the violent tasks she demands of them. Another is based on a rumour about a 50-step challenge that starts innocuously, but ramps up to the final task — challenging users to commit suicide.
In response, TikTok says it plans to ramp up its monitoring efforts, Safety Centre resources, and its warning prompts for users.
The report found that of the teens who were exposed to hoax challenges, 31 per cent believed it had a negative impact on them. Of those who experienced this negative impact, 63 per cent said the hoax affected their mental health.
Still, just 46 per cent of teens have sought support and advice afterward, according to the new report.
The findings were released on Wednesday in a report titled Exploring effective prevention education responses to dangerous online challenges. For the report, TikTok hired brand consultancy firm The Value Engineers (TVE) to conduct an online survey of 10,000 teens aged 13 to 19, parents and teachers from around the world about their experiences with online challenges and hoaxes.
No margin of error was provided for the survey results.
Tensions flared as CAQ leadership rivals clashed over Quebec’s “third link” project in the first debate to replace Premier François Legault.
Toronto police have charged a 60-year-old man with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Xian Wei Shao, whose remains were discovered in a north end home last week.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the government has found ways to cut spending by $60 billion but cautions that published spending cuts require important context.
Three Canadians from Quebec who were stranded in the Persian Gulf since Feb. 28 have returned home following a coordinated repatriation effort.
Federal departments announced that they plan to cut more than 12,000 jobs over three years as part of the Carney government’s spending review plan.
Canada’s Integrated Threat Assessment Centre says the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has heightened an already present threat against Jewish Canadians and public officials.
Edward Warner, his wife Tania and his seven-year-old step-daughter Ayla were coming back from a friend's baby shower on Saturday when they went through an ICE checkpoint in Sarita.
A fire chief from a village that battled flames during Saskatchewan's destructive wildfire season last year says the province's latest budget does not provide enough funding.
Manitoba’s upcoming budget will include more child care funding and a smaller deficit, as the NDP government aims to balance finances by 2027.
A member of the Royal Canadian Air Force in Winnipeg has just been crowned the World's Strongest Firefighter, outlifting athletes from around the world.
Muslims across Canada are celebrating Eid al-Fitr while some reflect on conflict affecting loved ones abroad, as leaders highlight unity, charity and renewal.
The Iran war has raised the price of crude oil beyond US$110 per barrel in international markets, spurring affordability concerns in Canada and around the world.
The statement from Global Affairs Canada comes a day after U.S. intelligence leaders unanimously testified that reports denying foreign involvement should be retracted.