A report from Mozilla highlights the lack of safety features in TikTok Lite compared to the flagship app, potentially exposing users to harmful content on the popular video platform in regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Researchers found that TikTok Lite Save Data lacks essential proactive user controls, such as content filtering, screen time management, and warning labels for harmful content like dangerous pranks and misinformation. Despite this, TikTok has refuted the findings, claiming that content moderation is handled similarly on both versions of the app.
TikTok declined to respond to Mozilla’s evidence, leaving concerns unresolved. This disparity in safety features underscores the different regulatory environments faced by tech companies in developed versus emerging markets.
The report also notes the absence of safety features in TikTok Lite, suggesting that the company may have sacrificed user protection to reduce bandwidth requirements. This decision is seen as deliberate, as integrating safety measures would not significantly increase the app’s size.
TikTok Lite, aimed at users in emerging markets with limited data and basic phones, has faced criticism for disregarding its own policies on dangerous activity. The researchers assert that implementing safety features in the lite app is feasible and compatible, indicating a conscious choice by TikTok to prioritize bandwidth over user safety.
