TikTok has become one of the world's fastest-growing social networks in a relatively short period of time. As the 2022 US midterm election cycle heats up, the app is now getting ready to tackle the irritating issue of election misinformation.
TikTok to Fight Misinformation
After receiving criticism for facilitating the spread of false information during previous elections, TikTok outlined a strategy for combating disinformation ahead of the midterm elections, including a prohibition on paid political content from influencers.
Eric Han, TikTok’s head of U.S. safety, commented on the company's strategy for fighting off the potential of misinformation. In order to deliver reliable voting information in the upcoming weeks, TikTok will first start rolling out its Election Center this week.
According to TikTok, it will link to the Election Center through labels placed on content related to the midterm elections, such as videos uploaded by political parties, government officials, and candidates.
TikTok is enhancing its 2019 ban on paid political advertising by partnering with accredited fact-checkers. Any content which is found unsubstantiated would become illegible for recommendation into users’ feeds.
Photo Description: TikTok is enhancing its policies (TikTok).
Ellen Judson, head of the Center for the Analysis of social media at the think tank “Demos,” commented: “It's good to see that TikTok is acknowledging improvements can be made.”
“Political actors will spot and exploit that gap” Judson warned internet users. “Relying on educating influencers better about their rules is a poor substitute for systematically and proactively improving enforcement,” added Judson.
According to TikTok, electoral misinformation, harassment—including those directed at election officials—hateful behavior, and violent extremism are all prohibited. The company is taking measures to prevent the spread of posts, while fact-checking is being done on the content as well. TikTok's actions, nevertheless, go beyond paid content since both paid and unpaid posts may violate the policies.
How Is TikTok an Incubator of Misinformation?
The New York Times reported that TikTok might potentially serve as an “incubator” of false information during the midterm elections, citing interviews with experts who keep an eye on the spread of disinformation online. TikTok's recommendation algorithm, short video duration, and millions of users all have the potential to contribute to the spread of misinformation. According to the New York Times, videos with bogus allegations of probable voter fraud in November have already attracted many viewers. TikTok unveiled a new strategy three days after the publication of the article.
2022 U.S. Elections
On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the United States will have its elections. Every one of the 435 House of Representatives seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be contested during this midterm election year. Thirty-nine state and territorial gubernatorial and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested. It will be the first election affected by the redistricting that will follow the 2020 census.
Meta and Twitter Procedures Prior to the Election
Critics and lawmakers blame TikTok and other social media firms like Meta Platforms and Twitter for not doing enough to prevent the spread of divisive and political misinformation on their apps.
Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, announced on Tuesday that it would prohibit political advertisers from running new ads one week prior to an election, a move it previously made in 2020.
Twitter announced last week that it intends to revive earlier tactics for the midterm elections, including labeling some messages that included misleading information and adding trustworthy information to timelines to refute false claims before they became viral online. Experts in civil and voting rights stated that the plan was insufficient to get ready for the election. The company stated that labels, which were initially implemented last year, assisted in reducing the number of replies to tweets that contained false information by 13% as well as the number of retweets and likes of those tweets by 10% and 15%, respectively.
Misbar’s Sources
