Tik Tok Least Trusted Social Media In Canada

TikTok is experiencing the fastest rate of growth among Canadians, but is also the least trusted social media platform in the country, reports The Canadian Press citing a new report.

The research published Thursday by Toronto Metropolitan University showed the short video app has nearly tripled its reach since 2019 with 29 per cent of survey respondents on the app, up from 10 per cent.

However, trust levels for social media platforms declined significantly from 2021, with just one in 10

Canadians having high trust in such apps. Trust in TikTok was particularly low, falling so far that the app replaced Facebook as Canada's least trusted social media organization.

His research was based on an online survey of 2,022 Canadians above the age of 16 conducted in October, months before the federal and provincial governments banned TikTok from its employees' phones as tensions with China intensified.

Some 91 per cent of survey respondents used YouTube, while 82 per cent were on Facebook, 77 per cent on Facebook Messenger and 55 per cent on Instagram.

Survey respondents gave TikTok, Facebook and Twitter the lowest level of trust when asked to assess the faith they had in various organizations to act in the best interest of the public.

Trust in the three tech companies was far lower than in corporate and media brands such as Canadian Tire, CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV, Tim Hortons, the Globe and Mail, Loblaws, Bell Canada and Shell, as well as international giants including Google, Wikipedia, Microsoft and Apple.

Only one in 10 of the people surveyed said they have a high degree of trust in Facebook, TikTok or Twitter.

About 50 per cent of respondents had low trust in TikTok, up from 36 per cent in 2021, while only seven per cent had high trust in the app, down from 16 per cent over the same period.

The research said 42 per cent had low trust in Facebook, up from 37 per cent a year prior. Some 40 per cent per cent had low trust in Twitter, up from 31 per cent in 2021.