How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou

we start with the knowledge that everyone has unique viewing habits. Our system then compares your viewing habits with those that are similar to you and uses that information to suggest other content you may want to watch. So if you like tennis videos and our system notices that others who like the same tennis videos as you also enjoy jazz videos, ... See more

This, then, is the magic of the design of TikTok: it is a closed loop of feedback which inspires and enables the creation and viewing of videos on which its algorithm can be trained.For its algorithm to become as effective as it has, TikTok became its own source of training data.

TikTok’s feed is not based on any social or follower graph. Instead, videos pop up based on an algorithm that prioritizes engagement, irrespective of who users follow. This dilutes the identity of creators, resulting in very weak network effects. However, it has remained viable because of its high CTC ratio — about 34% of daily active users in the ... See more