TikTok’s ‘not interested’ button cuts unwanted content by about 84%, far more than the 48% from simply skipping videos, but the effect fades quickly, according to a Northwestern University study. Its algorithm responds to negative feedback at first but gradually relapses, refilling the feed unless users keep repeating the signal, and even brief re-engagement resets it. Researchers ran the test with 90 bot accounts on the live TikTok app across cooking, fitness, and sports-betting videos, and found the effective ‘not interested’ option appears deliberately hidden from users. Users have less control over their For You feed than they assume, since keeping unwanted topics out requires constant, active curation rather than a one-time signal, the researchers concluded.
