Perceptions of Fake News on the Chinese Social Media Platform Douyin

Abstract

Fake news is a global social media concern, but most research has focused on Western text-based platforms. Douyin, a Chinese leading short-video app with 750 million users, offers a highly visual, algorithm-driven environment where content often blurs fact and fiction. Users frequently rely on heuristic surface cues (likes, video style, emotional tone) instead of verifying facts. This study explores how Douyin users perceive fake news videos, make credibility judgments, and respond behaviourally. An online survey was administered to 125 Douyin users, to assess participants’ fake news familiarity, confidence in identification, reliance on visual or social credibility cues, self-reported likely responses to suspicious content (e.g., ignore, share, report, comment), and demographics, with data analysed using descriptive statistics and group comparisons. Participants predominantly used superficial visual and emotional cues to judge video credibility rather than source credibility. Although a majority acknowledged the presence of fake news on Douyin and had encountered suspicious clips, their typical reaction was passive. Douyin users exhibit a “high awareness–low action” pattern regarding fake news. The findings underscore the need for improved platform design (clear credibility indicators and user-friendly reporting features) and enhanced digital literacy education to encourage critical evaluation and proactive engagement with misinformation on visual platforms.

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