TikTok is the latest platform to begin relying on its user base for fact-checking. In a new blog post, Head of Operations and Trust and Safety Adam Presser announced that TikTok will roll out ‘Footnotes’: a fact-checking tool powered by user votes.
In the post, Presser explained that Footnotes “will draw on the collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content on our platform.”
For instance, a user could add relevant statistics and facts about a complex STEM subject explored in a TikTok video.
Presser said that this feature will be tested in the US on short-form videos. US TikTokers can apply to be a Footnotes contributor, provided they meet three requirements: they have been on the platform for at least six months, are at least 18 years old, and have no recent history of violating Community Guidelines.
In terms of how these footnotes are published, Presser explained that it will use a bridge-based ranking system, where other TikTokers can vote on the “helpfulness” of a particular Footnote. Only Footnotes that reach the threshold for helpfulness will show publicly.
This comes after Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta would be eschewing fact-checkers for a more “Community Notes”-led approach. While Presser maintained that TikTok would keep its “20 IFCN-accredited fact-checking organizations,” this Footnotes announcement demonstrates a worrying trend in terms of misinformation management by these major social platforms.
