101 TikTok accounts masquerading as real news spread misinformation to millions

101 accounts impersonating Telemundo, Televisa, CNN and other media outlets were spreading clickbaity falsehoods to millions on TikTok until Indicator reported them to the company.

The accounts weren’t particularly sophisticated. For the most part, they used only the logo of the targeted media outlet and a generic handle like “breaking_us” to trick users. About a quarter of the accounts had some version of the target’s name in their handle, as with telemundo_usa, usabbcnews, or foxnews915.

But sophistication wasn’t the point. In an ocean of content, you just need a way to make someone slow down for the three seconds necessary to get a potentially monetizable view. A recognizable logo helps with that goal.

The 101 accounts documented in this article had amassed a cumulative 5.5 million followers.

They’re the latest example of TikTok’s struggle to contain hoax accounts. In March, I reported that fake Telemundo accounts were falsely claiming that green card holders were banned from leaving the United States. In August, I found 88 TikTok accounts using AI avatars of real journalists that shared fearmongering falsehoods about children being kidnapped. And in September, I collected more than 50 videos spreading conspiracy theories and AI-generated tributes related to the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Many of those accounts and videos were taken down at the time by TikTok following Indicator’s reporting because they violated the policy’s policies on AI-generated content and harmful misinformation.

The continued presence of hoax news accounts targeting a US audience is a worrying sign given that TikTok has been surging as a source of news for Americans.