Amplified by Design: TikTok's Engagement Logic, Misogynistic Content, and the Limits of Platform Governance
April 2026, Linnaeus University, Global Challenges in New Media and Management
TikTok's recommendation system rewards misogynistic content because outrage counts as engagement. This paper argues the problem is the design, and that self-regulation, advertiser standards, and the Digital Services Act all miss it by going after posts instead.