Or maybe trying to sway users overtly seems like a mistake?
Could trying to sway users subtly have still been a win in this instance?
I'd think a platform doing manipulation subtly is actually more dangerous, and the bigger potential threat from a platform. Because people being influenced would be less aware of it, and it's much harder for other parties to call out.
(Although, when I look at current TV news and some other outlets, there's such blatant manipulation and dumbing-down, from both political "sides", I wonder how more than a small minority of people can tolerate watching that, much less mimicking it. And calling it out just gets tossed into ineffectual echo-chamber sports-fandom-like noise. So maybe subtle isn't as additionally threatening as I'd been assuming.)
It’s unfortunate. They went about it honestly by doing it in the open, and that provided proof that they were dangerous.
If they had done it subtly, that would have proved that they had the power to do it too but if they weren’t caught it wouldn’t have blown up in their face.
Of course if they were caught it would be an even bigger deal.
TikTok trying to sway users made a huge mistake.