The bootleg ratio – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content
R
The Verge
The Bootleg Ratio.

Policy Editor Russell Brandom digs into a phenomenon we’ve all seen on social media before:

I call it the Bootleg Ratio: the delicate balance between A) content created by users specifically for the platform and B) semi-anonymous clout-chasing accounts drafting off the audience. Any platform will have both, but as B starts to overtake A, users will have less and less reason to visit and creators will have less and less reason to post.

And now it’s coming for TikTok.

How platforms turn boring

Russell Brandom
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Comments
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...