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A low-bandwidth version of TikTok that’s primarily available to Android users outside the US and Europe might help save battery life, but it also lacks basic user protections, according to research from Mozilla and AI Forensics.
The internet nonprofit and algorithm watchdog found that TikTok Lite—a “mini version of the flagship app” meant to require less robust connectivity—doesn’t include features like content filtering, warning labels, and screen-time controls that can help curb misinformation and tech addiction.
TikTok Lite accounts for almost half the platform’s global user base, but gives users less control over what they see and no warnings about content that might be harmful, dangerous, or offensive, the groups said.
“TikTok’s ‘bite-size’ Lite app is a safety hazard for more than 1 billion of its users. It’s the equivalent of removing seat belts and airbags from a car and then selling it to an unsuspecting customer,” Mozilla researcher Odanga Madung said in a statement. “In an effort to reduce the app’s required bandwidth, TikTok has also reduced crucial safety protections for users across the Global Majority.”
While TikTok became the first social media platform to implement technology to label content that’s generated or manipulated by AI, the report noted that Lite doesn’t include the capability.
According to AI Forensics co-founder Claudio Agosti, the safety and quality features that TikTok Lite eschews “aren’t complex and are perfectly compatible with a lower-bandwidth app.” He characterized their omission as “clearly a choice, not a technical necessity.”
“There are several factual inaccuracies in this report which fundamentally misrepresent our approach to safety,” TikTok spokesperson Mahsau Cullinane told Tech Brew. “The fact is content that breaks our rules is removed from TikTok Lite the same way as our main app and we offer numerous safety features, which we would have explained if Mozilla asked us before publishing their report.”
In the report, Mozilla noted that TikTok didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Since its 2016 debut, the app has weathered its share of scrutiny, and Congress recently passed a law that requires Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest it or face a US ban.
And this spring, EU regulators investigated whether a “reward program” incentivizing engagement on TikTok Lite violated the Digital Services Act; TikTok voluntarily suspended the program.
TikTok isn’t the only major platform with a version tailored to users outside the US and Europe. Facebook, Google, Tinder, and YouTube have all released scaled-down versions. Mozilla said its findings point back to another report on elections that it released in February, which “found platforms disproportionately deploy fewer policies in Global Majority regions.”