New research indicates TikTok users have less control over their "For You" pages (FYPs) than they believe. A study using 90 cloned accounts found that while the "not interested" feature is effective, reducing unwanted content by 84 percent, its impact is temporary. The TikTok algorithm can quickly reintroduce previously disliked content if users engage with it, even briefly.

Researchers observed that simply skipping videos only reduced unwanted content by 48 percent. The "not interested" button, though powerful, is reportedly difficult to find within the app's interface. The study highlights that users must constantly and actively provide negative feedback to maintain control over their FYPs, as the algorithm prioritizes user behavior over explicit disinterest signals over time.

This research, published in the Proceedings of the Twentieth International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, suggests that platform design choices fundamentally limit user agency. While users can learn to better utilize feedback tools, the ultimate curation of their FYP remains heavily influenced by TikTok's underlying algorithmic structure, potentially leading to a less personalized experience than users expect.