Fact check: Is China using TikTok to 'dumb down' European children?

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Fact check: Is China using TikTok to 'dumb down' European children?  Macron recently claimed that China offers its children a more educational version of TikTok, while the version available in Europe is designed, in his view, to dull the minds of young people. The Cube compared the content found in both versions of the app.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/11/26/fact-check-is-china-using-tiktok-to-dumb-down-european-children  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00He's China using TikTok to dumb down European children.

00:07Francis Président Emmanuel Macron recently claimed China is exposing the world to a cognitive war

00:12by keeping TikTok educational for children at home while dumbing it down abroad.

00:30What Macron is referring to is Douyin TikTok's twin app that only serves the Chinese market.

00:36Both are owned by ByteDance, share the same logo, the same concept and the same structure.

00:41To see whether Macron's comment about Douyin's content for children were true,

00:44the Cube used a VPN to download the app and created an account with a 13-year-old user profile.

00:50After scrolling for several minutes, most of the videos suggested in the feed seemed to be educational.

00:54They included clips of chemistry experiments, step-by-step guides to preparing recipes

00:59and even English lessons.

01:01Nevertheless, the suggestion that TikTok in Europe provides no or very little educational material

01:06to children needs nuance.

01:08At first glance, the feed shown to users under 13 does seem to be dominated by entertaining

01:14and comedic posts rather than educational.

01:17Yet, since 2024, the platform has introduced an optional feed providing strictly educational

01:22content on science, technology, engineering and maths tailored specifically for 13-year-olds.

01:28It should also be noted that the other versions of both apps are less regulated and show similar

01:33content which is shaped by the viewer's taste.

01:36Another factor that does lend credence to Macron's claims is the generous social media censorship

01:40enforced by Xi Jinping's government.

01:43By comparing Douyin's and TikTok's privacy terms, it becomes clear that Douyin operates under stricter

01:49rules that promote the Chinese state, banning content that seriously hurts national sentiments.

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