TikTok Rolls Out 'Footnotes' Feature to Boost Context, Fight Misinformation in the US
With over 170 million users in the US, TikTok is positioning the Footnotes feature as a community-driven tool similar to the Community Notes system on X (formerly Twitter). However, TikTok is not abandoning its current safeguards — unlike X, TikTok will continue its fact-checking program, head of operations Adam Presser confirmed in a blog post.
'Footnotes will draw on the collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content,' Presser explained. 'It will complement our existing integrity tools like content labels, search banners, and third-party fact-checking.'
🔍 How It Works
The Footnotes feature invites adult users in the US — who have been active for more than six months and have a clean record on community guidelines — to apply as contributors. These contributors can add contextual information to videos, especially in cases involving complex science, misleading statistics, or evolving news stories.
Footnotes added by users can be rated by others, and only those deemed 'helpful' will be made visible on the platform. All TikTok users will then be able to vote on them to provide ongoing feedback.
📌 Not Backing Down on Fact-Checking
While Meta recently discontinued its third-party fact-checking program in the US, TikTok is doubling down on a hybrid model: using both community insights and verified fact-checking organizations like AFP.
This move comes at a tense time for TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, which faces pressure from the US government to sell its American operations or risk a nationwide ban. A potential deal, once endorsed by President Donald Trump, was disrupted by new tariff disputes between Washington and Beijing.
Despite political uncertainty, TikTok's focus on transparency and accuracy remains strong — and the Footnotes initiative is the platform's latest step to empower users while maintaining editorial integrity.
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