TikTok search results are reportedly swarming with misinformation

While TikTok is no stranger to fighting misinformation, the problem might be worse than you think. As the AP reports, internet trust researchers at NewsGuard have published a report claiming that almost 20 percent of sampled search results for major news topics included misinformation. The bogus claims covered subjects ranging from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through to COVID-19 vaccines and the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

NewsGuard also found that typing innocuous queries can lead to suggestions rife with misinformation. Start looking for “climate change” and TikTok will offer searches related to climate science denial, for instance. The results are also more polarizing than through Google, according to the researchers, with 12 out of the top 20 results for the 2022 US midterms included highly partisan statements.

We’ve asked TikTok for comment. In a statement to NewsGuard, a spokesperson said the social media giant doesn’t allow “harmful misinformation” and pulls it from the platform.

TikTok has made a point of removing misinformation. It took down nearly 350,000 videos related to the 2020 US presidential election by the end of that year, for example. The company uses AI to screen videos, and either pulls flagged clips automatically or sends them to human moderators. The concern, as you might guess, is that this approach doesn’t catch enough offenders — particularly those that avoid using keywords likely to alert the AI.

However prominent misinformation might be, the report comes at a bad time for TikTok. Operations chief Vanessa Pappas is due to testify today alongside other companies’ executives at a Senate hearing exploring social networking’s effects on national security. The findings won’t necessarily come up during the hearing, but they could further pressure TikTok to clamp down on falsehoods.

Action RPG ‘Project Eve’ will finally debut in 2023 as ‘Stellar Blade’

Shift Up’s long-touted Project Eve is finally nearing release. The Korean developer has announced that the action RPG will arrive in 2023 as Stellar Blade. It will be a PS5 exclusive on consoles. Accordingly, the studio used Sony’s State of Play event to share a trailer outlining the game’s apocalyptic premise.

You play Eve, a warrior who returns to a shattered Earth to rebuild the last city (Xion) and protect it against “NA:tives.” Naturally, there will be some intrigue between humans alongside the usual battles against horrific-looking creatures. The action RPG mechanics will sound familiar, but could be intriguing if you thrive on perfecting your gameplay. You’ll need “precise timing” with combos, defensive maneuvers and skills to succeed against regular foes, while boss fights will demand a more “strategic” approach.

Project Eve has garnered increasing buzz since the first teaser trailer appeared in 2019, in no small part due to its eye-catching visuals. Whether or not the finished Stellar Blade lives up to those expectations is another story. This is Shift Up’s first console game, not to mention its first AAA release. While the company has had success with the mobile-oriented Destiny Child, it’ll need to show that its experience translates well to other platforms.

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‘Yakuza: Like A Dragon 8’ arrives in 2024

If you’ve been craving more Yakuza games, don’t worry — you’re going to get plenty in the next couple of years. Sega has revealed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon 8 is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC (via Steam) in 2024. While it’s still early days, the developers have confirmed that both Like a Dragon‘s Ichiban and series veteran Kiryu will both serve as protagonists. You’ll see an RPG-style combat system once more, and Kiryu will have his own party.

You won’t have to wait that long if you need an additional fix. Another spinoff, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, is coming in 2023. The mid-sized action adventure (larger than DLC, smaller than a full game) will shed light on Kiryu’s life between Yakuza 6 and Like a Dragon 8. Think of it as a way to both fill out the backstory and help newcomers catch up if they’ve missed earlier games in the franchise.

The games join a remake of the samurai-era Like a Dragon: Ishin launching in February 2023. Sega is clearly capitalizing on the growing success of Yakuza games beyond Japan (including offshoots like the Judgment series). Not that you’ll necessarily mind if you’re a fan. Like a Dragon was generally well received when it arrived in 2020, and these follow-ups promise more of that successful formula.

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