Amid mounting scrutiny in the U.S. and the U.K., TikTok doubles down on its educational initiative by expanding its dedicated STEM content stream across Europe. Launched last year in the U.S., this initiative is now debuting in the U.K. and Ireland, underscoring TikTok’s commitment to nurturing informative content on its platform.
For users under 18, the STEM feed will seamlessly integrate alongside the “For You” and “Following” feeds, while those over 18 can activate it via the app’s “content preferences” settings. Offering English content with auto-translate subtitles, this curated feed has already gained traction, with a notable 33% of users in the U.S. enabling it and a third of teens visiting it weekly.
Since its U.S. inception, STEM-related content on TikTok has surged by 24%, culminating in nearly 15 million STEM-related videos globally over the past three years. To uphold content quality, TikTok has bolstered its partnerships with Common Sense Networks and Poynter. The former will assess content suitability, while the latter will scrutinize information reliability, ensuring only vetted content makes it to the STEM feed.
This move arrives amidst heightened scrutiny over TikTok’s content moderation practices, with the European Union probing potential violations of the Digital Services Act. Allegations of exposing minors to harmful content and fostering addictive usage patterns have put TikTok in the regulatory crosshairs.
By emphasizing its educational initiatives, TikTok aims to reshape its image and deflect regulatory concerns, portraying itself as a valuable resource for young users. This strategic pivot aligns with recent testimonies by TikTok’s CEO, who highlighted the STEM feed in U.S. congressional hearings as evidence of the platform’s commitment to youth education and safety.
