TikTok says the platform should not be seen as a social media network. but rather as a content growth platform driven by high-quality content.
Keagile Makgoba, TikTok’s Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, made this known at a media workshop organised for journalists in Lagos.
According to her, TikTok is a short-form video platform where users create and share videos ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Makgoba noted that contrary to public speculation, TikTok’s algorithm relies on a content graph rather than a social graph, meaning that creativity, rather than social connections is the key to gaining visibility on the platform.
The platform’s spokesperson pointed out that it is the strength of individual content that drew users to TikTok, alongside the platform’s built-in tools that supported content discovery.
Makgoba was of the view that STEM feed is one of the ‘Tools for Discovery’ that makes learning, education and science fun.
She said TikTok community guidelines and policies are not created in a vacuum, they are a global platform with a local approach.
Makgoba said TikTok had adopted a comprehensive approach to content moderation by combining advanced moderation technology with a robust team of human moderators to ensure user safety.
She also noted that in 2023, TikTok launched the Mental Health Education Fund to support organisations in creating authoritative, engaging, and uplifting mental health content.
The platform explained that the fund has helped participating organisations achieve over 173 million impressions, gain more than 600,000 new followers, and drive over 200,000 website visits.
