TikTok will launch localized election resources in its app to help users in each of the European Union’s 27 Member States access “trusted information” as part of its preparations to combat disinformation risks related to regional elections this year.
“Next month, we will launch a local language Election Centre in-app for each of the 27 individual EU Member States to ensure people can easily separate fact from fiction. Working with local electoral commissions and civil society organisations, these Election Centres will be a place where our community can find trusted and authoritative information,” TikTok announced in a blog post discussing its preparations for the 2024 European elections.
The company also stated that videos related to the European elections will be labeled to direct people to the relevant Election Centre. Additionally, they will add reminders to hashtags to encourage people to follow their rules, verify facts, and report content they believe violates their Community Guidelines.
TikTok plans to introduce dedicated covert influence operations reports and to launch nine more media literacy campaigns in the region. The platform also hopes to expand its local fact-checking partners network and is working on strengthening their efforts to combat misinformation related to generative AI and political deepfakes.
While no new measures related to election security risks linked to AI generated deepfakes were announced, TikTok has emphasized its commitment to address new challenges brought by generative AI tech and specified its ban on manipulated content that could be misleading, including AI-generated content of public figures endorsing a political view.
The company has been facing increased pressure from the EU regarding disinformation threats, and it has now committed to adhere to the EU’s Disinformation Code and strengthen its efforts to address regional information-based and election security risks.
