WASHINGTON: TikTok has launched a crowd-sourced debunking tool in the US, marking its latest effort to tackle misinformation through community contributions.
The feature, called Footnotes, allows verified users to add context to potentially misleading content, similar to X’s Community Notes and Meta’s fact-checking initiatives.
Adam Presser, TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, explained in a blog post, “Footnotes draws on the collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content.”
The pilot program is now open to nearly 80,000 eligible US users who have maintained accounts for at least six months.
TikTok emphasized that Footnotes will complement existing measures like unverified content labels and partnerships with fact-checking organizations, including AFP.
However, the effectiveness of crowd-sourced verification remains debated. A recent study by the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas found that over 90% of X’s Community Notes never go live, raising concerns about scalability.
Presser acknowledged potential delays, stating, “It may take some time for a footnote to become public as contributors get familiar with the feature.”
He added that the system improves as more users participate.
The shift toward community-driven moderation follows Meta’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program in the US earlier this year.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg cited concerns over “too much censorship,“ a move perceived as aligning with conservative critiques of tech platforms.
While crowd-sourced tools like Community Notes have shown success in debunking vaccine misinformation, researchers warn they work best on topics with broad consensus.
Partisan biases may also influence contributions, undermining neutrality.
TikTok’s Footnotes aims to balance user input with platform oversight, but its long-term impact remains uncertain as misinformation challenges persist. – AFP