TikTok users report surge in repeated, old videos as platform faces algorithm concerns

ISTANBUL

TikTok users across Europe and the US have reported a growing problem in recent weeks, saying the platform’s “For You” feed is increasingly showing videos they have already watched, liked or reposted, the French news broadcaster BFMTV reported on Friday.

Many users say the videos being suggested are sometimes several months old, with some dating back to last summer or even earlier, disrupting the experience of continuous discovery that has long been central to TikTok’s appeal.

“I keep seeing videos I’ve already liked or shared. It’s boring and stressful,” one user said in a widely shared post. Another wrote: “Every three videos, I recognize the content. Why am I seeing Halloween videos again?”

Similar complaints have spread rapidly on the platform, with several posts drawing hundreds of thousands of views. Some users say the issue is making them spend less time on the app, while others describe their feed as “completely disorganized.”

French social media journalist Aaron Parnas said the situation points to “major problems” within TikTok’s recommendation system.

“My page only shows videos from months or even years ago. The feed I carefully curated no longer shows what I want to see,” he said.

Speculation has grown online about possible causes, including technical failures, internal testing or changes linked to regulatory and political pressure.

TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance has been in talks to restructure its US operations amid the risk of a ban in the country, with a proposed deal that would involve Oracle helping retrain and secure a new recommendation system based on American user data. However, this does not explain why European users are also affected.

Others point to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in 2024 and imposes new obligations on large platforms to increase transparency and limit harmful or illegal content. TikTok is currently subject to several investigations under the regulation.

According to the company, the phenomenon may also be linked to routine testing of its algorithm. TikTok says its system can sometimes resurface previously liked content on the assumption that users may want to watch it again.

ISTANBUL

French social media journalist Aaron Parnas said the situation points to “major problems” within TikTok’s recommendation system.

“My page only shows videos from months or even years ago. The feed I carefully curated no longer shows what I want to see,” he said.

Speculation has grown online about possible causes, including technical failures, internal testing or changes linked to regulatory and political pressure.