Exploiting the Heating Function on TikTok: Similarities to Amazon Seller Data

Recently, news has broken revealing the potential for misuse of user data at two of the most popular companies today: Amazon and TikTok.?

Amazon employees have been accused of exploiting confidential seller data for bribes, while TikTok employees allegedly used a special “heating” feature to boost certain videos over others. While both companies have implemented policies to stop employee exploitation, it is still important to consider the similarities between the two situations and how user data can be vulnerable.?

What is “Heating” at TikTok?

At TikTok, a “heating” feature was recently revealed (i.e. leaked) that can significantly impact overall core metrics like video views.?

Basically, it’s a button that supersedes the algorithm and forcibly manipulates distribution (i.e. views).

Documents revealed that it is used to attract influencers, promote diverse content, and push important information.?

Let’s deconstruct that for a moment, shall we?

• It was used to attract influencers: Translated, this means the function was used to push influencers content unfairly, thereby winning them new followers and a bigger audience, which helped to keep them on the platform.
• It was used to promote diverse content: TikTok has been often accused of not giving enough of a voice to diverse content, but it seems convenient that they would use that as an excuse for the “heating” function. Have they not had this function the entire time?
• It was used to push important information: Important to whom?

Under the objective ‘attracting influencers’, this includes promoting celebrities and emerging creators, though the company has not commented on if political content generated by the Chinese government or state media had ever been heated.?

As such, questions have been raised around the fairness of the app’s “innovative” algorithm and has continued to add to concerns surrounding TikTok and its handling of user data.?

Similarities to the Amazon Scandals

Amazon’s scandal similarly revolved around user data. An internal audit conducted in 2015 revealed that over 4,700 Amazon employees had unauthorized access to seller data, including inventory levels, product pricing, and the ability to cancel orders.?

This access was due to lax security protocols and the use of a “spoofer” tool, which persisted until at least 2018.?

Amazon employees have been found to have taken bribes for leaking confidential sales information, and intermediaries were offering internal data and services to independent merchants for payments ranging from $80 to more than $2,000.?

These two scandals have shown likenesses in their approach to user data, particularly in terms of exploitation.?

Amazon employees had access to confidential seller data, and were found to be misusing it to their own advantage or selling it for bribes.?

Similarly, TikTok employees have been found to be using the “heating” feature to promote their own or their spouses’ accounts.?

What Dangers Do Mishandeling User Data Pose?

Most of us sellers are already aware of the dangers of selling sensitive business data. Often this gave competitors an unfair advantage, as the data could be used to determine sales trends, or exploit weaknesses in reviews or other metrics.

These dangers also exist on the TikTok front. With the ability to sell or otherwise show favoritism to creators on the app, this gives “competitors” an unfair advantage.

For context, imagine one of your biggest sources of traffic for your Amazon product came from TikTok, and you enjoyed sales and profit from the creation of brand-related content.

Then a competitor enters the scene. This shouldn’t worry you as your brand has amassed several hundred thousand followers. However, with “heating” applied, your competitor could surpass you in followers, likes, views, and ultimately traffic, quickly.

Outside of unfair advantages to competitors, where TikTok is unique in the potential dangers it’s algorithm manipulation poses is that this also means misinformation, or otherwise undesirable content, could be spread with impunity.

What Does This Mean For Sellers?

TikTok remains one of the most viable social media options for external traffic. As such, it will remain a big portion of sellers’ strategies. Moving forward, this simply means that brands must be aware of potential exploitation.

This means:

• You should NOT solely rely on the TikTok platform (or any single platform)
• You should NOT stress when metrics suddenly don’t match what they have in the past
• You should NOT make rash decisions based on metrics
• You should NOT seek black-hat tactics to compensate for perceived unfairness

Simply continue to treat TikTok like another distribution channel (much like Amazon), and continue making the next right decision for your brand.