Fake news and misinformation have become more of a problem on social media ever since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the planet. This is why fact-checking has become a leading focus on social networks and TikTok is now the latest one to join the fray.
The Chinese video-sharing platform will now warn you before you share a video containing unverified information. These prompts will appear on videos that TikTok’s fact-checking partners including PolitiFact, Lead Stories, and SciVerify cannot confirm. TikTok has said that these prompts will prove to be useful before fact-checkers can pronounce their final opinion.
If you try to share a video with such content, the app will warn you with a grey caution prompt on the screen. You will still be able to share the video, meaning that the goal of these prompts is to make you think twice before sharing unverified content. The content creator will also be warned if their content is flagged with unverified and it will not appear on users’ feed.
Following the beta testing, TikTok claimed that users shared 24% less misleading content on the social network and flagged videos received 7% fewer likes than before. The feature is only available in the US and Canada for now but should roll out to other regions shortly.
