Latest news with #Presser
The Sun
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
TikTok debuts crowd-sourced fact-checking tool in US
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
UPI
30-07-2025
- Business
- UPI
TikTok rolls out crowd-based 'Footnotes' fact checker in U.S.
July 30 (UPI) -- TikTok on Wednesday announced a series of new safety, family and content features in addition to a community fact-checking tool similar to what's found on X and Facebook. Company officials say its new add-ons will "help protect TikTok creators and empower them with tools to succeed so they can continue making content people love." The updates will include creator care mode, a new mute feature, a creator's inbox and a "Creator Chat Room." It also re-introduced its new "Footnotes" fact-checker feature that will roll out for U.S.-based users after the popular social media platform first revealed the plans in April. The pilot program will allow a "contributor" to rate and write Footnotes on TikTok clips. Footnotes will "draw on the collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content on our platform," Adam Presser, TikTok's chief of operations, trust and safety said in a release. All U.S. TikTokers will be permitted to view the notes rated as helpful and able to submit their own rating. It performs similar to the "Community Notes" section on the Elon Musk-owned X. "It will add to our suite of measures that help people understand the reliability of content and access authoritative sources," Presser added, saying it included TikTok's content labels, search banners, fact-checking program and other components. Presser said Footnotes will use a "bridge-based ranking system" designed to find agreement between people who typically differ in opinion. He said it was inspired by the open-sourced systems utilized by other social media platforms. He said it works by allowing contributors with differing opinions to vote on the helpfulness of a footnote. But only footnotes meeting the "helpful" threshold will be visible to the greater TikTok community. A recent study suggested the platform has created a political echo chamber with users tending to follow accounts that align with their own political beliefs. "Whether the content discusses a complex STEM-related concept, shares statistics that could misrepresent a topic, or updates about an ongoing event, there may be additional context that could help others better understand it," Presser stated. "That's why we're building Footnotes." It followed Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, in January when the company said it would end third-party fact-checking and shift to a user-generated "Community Notes" format.
Daily Tribune
17-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
TikTok Rolls Out 'Footnotes' Feature to Boost Context, Fight Misinformation in the US
TikTok is testing a new feature in the United States called 'Footnotes' that allows users to add informative context to videos, aiming to counter misinformation while enhancing the reliability of content shared on the platform. 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.
Express Tribune
17-04-2025
- Express Tribune
TikTok rolls out community notes, but with a twist from Meta and X's versions
TikTok is stepping into the fact-checking arena with its own crowd-sourced tool called Footnotes, joining the ranks of X and Meta. But unlike those platforms, TikTok is keeping its professional fact-checkers and current moderation policies intact. As the app continues to navigate its uncertain future in the United States, it's launching Footnotes, a feature that allows contributors to add 'more context' to videos. 'Footnotes offers a new opportunity for people to share their expertise and add an additional layer of context to the discussion using a consensus-driven approach,' said Adam Presser, TikTok's head of operations and trust and safety, in a blog post. Footnotes has reportedly been on TikTok's roadmap since last year, and now it's the latest tech company to take a cue from X's popular Community Notes. However, while Meta and X have revamped their moderation or integrated new fact-checking tools, TikTok's version is more focused on user contributions, offering 'helpful details that may be missing.' Importantly, Footnotes will not affect a video's algorithmic ranking or its appearance on the For You page. Presser explained the system will rely on a 'bridge-based ranking system designed to find agreement between people who usually have different opinions, inspired by the open-sourced system that other platforms use.' That's a nod to the system X uses, where contributors must rate each other's notes for them to be published. Meta also adopted a similar model. But TikTok will be using its own algorithm to power Footnotes. While it's unclear how Footnotes will be visually presented or how noticeable they will be within the app, TikTok has confirmed they must include a source, whether it's another TikTok video or a third-party site. The rollout begins with a contributor program for users in the US. To join, you must be 18 or older, have an account at least six months old, and have no recent Community Guidelines violations. For the next few months, contributors will be able to write and rate notes, though none will be visible to the public until testing progresses further. TikTok hasn't shared when or if the feature will expand globally. This update comes while TikTok's US presence remains in limbo. President Donald Trump recently granted the company a 75-day extension to finalize a deal that will allow it to operate in the US. Reports suggest the White House prefers a solution involving TikTok's current US investors, though it's unclear how Trump's China tariffs are influencing negotiations.
