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Study Finds Misinformation in Majority of Cancer and Autism Videos on TikTok
TikTok is filled with videos making false promises about autism and cancer treatments. Marketplace’s investigation of 200 health videos on TikTok reveals a proliferation of misinformation.
TikTok has emerged as a popular platform for health advice, but a recent analysis by Marketplace revealed that the majority of videos related to cancer and autism treatments lack scientific support.
Journalists from Marketplace examined 100 videos discussing cancer treatments and 100 videos on autism therapies. The investigation uncovered that over 80% of the remedies presented in these videos, with a total of more than 75 million views, were not backed by scientific evidence.
Many of these misleading videos gain traction due to compelling personal narratives, according to health misinformation researcher Tim Caulfield.
“Stories and testimonials are the primary methods through which unproven therapies are promoted on social media,” Caulfield stated. “Our inclination to listen to and be moved by stories plays a significant role in this phenomenon.”
Marketplace conducted searches on TikTok using terms like “cancer cure” and “cancer treatment” for cancer-related videos and “autism cure,” “autism treatment,” and “autism” for autism-related videos. The top 100 viewed videos featuring treatments or cures were selected for analysis.
The creators of these videos, as reviewed by Marketplace, often lacked medical expertise, ranging from parents of children with autism to individuals claiming to have cured cancer using the methods they promote. Additionally, some videos were created by accounts potentially profiting from these treatments.
Find out more from Marketplace journalists Dexter McMillan, Madeline McNair, and Asha Tomlinson.
- Tune in to “Investigating Dr. TikTok” airing Friday night at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. in Newfoundland) on CBC Television, YouTube, and CBC Gem.