A surprising new study claims TikTok’s annual carbon footprint is greater than most social media platforms and possibly even greater than Greece. According to estimates, an average user of the short-video app was producing greenhouse gases equivalent to driving an additional 198 kilometers in a gasoline-powered car each year. greenAs published GuardianThe ByteDance-owned company has emerged as one of the world’s most popular social media platforms in recent years, largely due to its short video content and highly engaging algorithms.
The platform’s heavy reliance on video streaming has made it one of the more energy-intensive platforms, contributing to a substantial environmental footprint. The Paris-based carbon accounting consultancy puts TikTok’s 2023 emissions in the US, UK and France at around 7.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), higher than X (formerly Twitter) and Snapchat in the same region.
However, given that the US, UK and France make up only 15 percent of TikTok’s global user base, the platform’s overall carbon footprint is likely to be around 50 million metric tons CO2e. By comparison, Greece’s annual carbon emissions for 2023 were 51.67 million metric tons CO2e.
“Behind each social media post or video is a vast digital infrastructure, powered by data centers and servers that consume significant amounts of power. The report notes that the majority of this electricity is still derived from carbon-intensive sources such as coal, oil and gas, meaning every digital action contributes to global carbon emissions.
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TikTok addiction
TikTok’s increased carbon footprint is linked to its addiction, with daily users spending an average of 45.8 minutes per day on the platform. The report said that TikTok burns 2.921 grams of CO2e in one minute while YouTube burns 2.923 grams of CO2e in one minute. Instagram burns 2.912 grams per minute.
“The entire algorithm is built around generalization of video. “There are also addictive consequences in terms of encouraging people on an individual basis to generate a greater (carbon) footprint,” said Alexis Normand, chief executive of Greenlee.
TikTok refuted the study’s findings, quoting a spokesperson. Luck ByteDance’s total 2023 carbon emissions, including all operations beyond TikTok, were less than 20 percent of the emissions projected by Greenlee.
