You can buy fake TikTok followers, but it might cost you your privacy

Research shows TikTok might have a problem with fake followers, but you’re more likely to encounter false promises

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TikTok is the source of many viral videos, and some TikTok creators might be paying for fake engagement to stand out from the crowd. (Picture: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket)

Published: 7:15pm, 18 Mar 2020

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

A star is born almost every day on TikTok. The short video platform has turned some ordinary teenagers into online celebrities, and other celebrities have also flocked to the app to promote their online personas.

So it’s not surprising that a shadow industry selling fake TikTok followers has risen in parallel with the app’s popularity, catering to those in search of virality and clout. A quick search through Google these days gives people ample choices of vendors selling followers, likes and shares for a reasonable price.

As someone who doesn’t consider herself TikTok material, I decided to see if I could boost my own TikTok status.

The process was easy. I just had to type in my TikTok account, make a payment of US$2 for 100 followers and wait. I tried buying from two different vendors, but only one delivered. By the next day, I had gone from 18 followers to 118. I’m a star!

Who are all these new followers and where did they come from? That’s not clear.

In a recent report, the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) and its researcher Kanishk Karan unearthed TikTok accounts that could be inauthentic profiles. But the evidence is still inconclusive on whether the accounts have bots or people behind them. The clues were alphanumerical handles, no profile pictures or stolen pictures, and a lack of uploaded content while commenting on other users’ videos.