Recent reports suggest that TikTok is actively supporting far-left congressman Zoran Mamdani in the race for New York City mayor.
According to a source based in Tel Aviv, the app’s algorithms are tilting the competition by significantly promoting content favorable to Mamdani while downplaying videos that back Andrew Cuomo, his opponent. This was revealed in important leaked documents from a social media company.
Yehonatan Doderes mentioned in a Medium post published on Tuesday that there’s early evidence indicating that these algorithms might be swaying voter opinions in the New York elections.
Doderes pointed out that TikTok’s algorithm not only decides which videos become popular but also influences what a massive audience perceives to be the truth.
His research team utilized leaked onboarding documents meant for new software engineers at TikTok to build a computer model aimed at discovering why some videos receive more engagement compared to others.
By analyzing a vast number of videos, they established a baseline for what typical user engagement looks like and identified topics that were unexpectedly prominent.
Interestingly, they found that videos supporting Mamdani were shared far more often than anticipated, while those for Cuomo lagged behind.
This difference suggests that TikTok’s algorithm might be clandestinely favoring certain content rather than merely showcasing what would gain popularity naturally, Doderes argued.
The Post has sought TikTok’s response regarding these claims.
This isn’t the first accusation of political bias faced by TikTok.
In 2023, several conservative creators reported to Fox News Digital that their videos were frequently taken down after coordinated mass reporting, forcing them to repeatedly create new accounts.
While TikTok maintains that they don’t target right-leaning users and apply their moderation policies impartially, creators argue that there’s a clear double standard. They claim that critiques of progressive ideologies on issues like gender and race are swiftly removed, whereas left-wing criticisms of conservatives remain untouched.
Moreover, the platform has been accused of promoting pro-Palestinian narratives while suppressing pro-Israel content since the escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023.
Some studies indicate that pro-Palestinian videos outnumber pro-Israel ones significantly, and Israeli authorities assert that TikTok frequently restricts or removes their content.
TikTok asserts that its moderation is focused on policy violations rather than political leanings, but critics maintain that its algorithms predominantly favor one side of the discussion.
While the Trump administration attempted to compel TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations, concerns remain about the app’s controversial recommendation algorithm.
Due to China’s classification of the algorithm as an “export-controlled technology,” ByteDance is likely to license it to a U.S. consortium rather than sell it outright, enabling Oracle to adapt it for U.S. users.
Lawmakers have warned that this compromise might give China enduring, indirect control over what approximately 170 million American users see on TikTok.
At present, Mamdani appears to be leading the mayoral race in New York, with recent polling showing Democrats at 43.2%, Cuomo at 28.9%, and Republican Curtis Sliwa at 19.4%. The newspaper has reached out to both Mamdani and Cuomo for their input.
