TikTok propaganda labels fall flat in ‘huge win’ for Russia

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Social media platforms often rely on labels to let users know an account is operated by a Russian state propaganda agency. But new research shows on TikTok the labels aren’t very effective even when they’re applied consistently. Analysts at the Alliance for Securing Democracy identified nearly 100 accounts with clear links to Russian state media or propaganda agencies. The analysts found more than a third of the accounts were still unlabeled a year after TikTok announced its labeling program. Even when the labels were added to Russian state accounts, they did little to limit the reach of the propaganda. TikTok says it’ll keep reviewing new accounts and adding labels.