TikTok algorithm fills Romanian dummy child account with harmful body‑image content in under an hour

A simple experiment in Romania created a new TikTok account presented as a 12‑year‑old boy and made no active searches. Within one hour the platform’s recommendation engine populated the feed entirely with toxic body‑image videos, illustrating how quickly the algorithm can expose a minor to harmful content.

The Romanian National Agency Against Human Trafficking (ANITP) used the findings to highlight the parallel risk of online grooming and trafficking, noting that the same algorithmic pathways exploited for harmful trends can be leveraged by traffickers to identify and cultivate vulnerable children. ANITP called on parents, teachers and minors to watch for warning signs. The agency also referenced the EU Digital Services Act (Article 28), which obliges platforms to provide stronger privacy and safety measures for minors, and pointed to the European Commission’s July 14 2025 guidance recommending default private accounts, limited contact with strangers, disabled geolocation, transparent recommendation systems and reliable age‑verification methods.