TikTok Unveils US Crowd‑Sourced Myth‑Busting Platform
TikTok launches community‑written footnotes to fight online misinformation
In a move that mirrors Meta and X, TikTok has opened a crowdsourced platform called Footnotes for U.S. users. The video‑sharing giant says the feature builds on the collective expertise of its 170 million American members, allowing vetted contributors to add textual context to videos that may contain errors or misleading claims.
What Footnotes offers
- Contributor access – About 80 000 U.S. users who have kept an account for at least six months are eligible to write and rate footnotes.
- Public presentation – Footnotes will appear behind videos that the TikTok community finds useful, and other viewers can rate those notes for helpfulness.
- Integration points – The system supplements existing integrity tools, such as labels for unverifiable content and partnerships with professional fact‑checkers like AFP.
How Footnotes compares to other platforms
Footnotes follows a model pioneered by Elon Musk’s X, yet studies raise questions about its overall effectiveness. A recent analysis by the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas found that more than 90 percent of X’s Community Notes never get published, suggesting limitations in reach and impact.
Challenges and expected growth
Presser, TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, noted that the footnote system will “take some time to become public” as the community gets accustomed to the feature. He added that the more footnotes are written and rated on diverse topics, the “smarter and more effective the system becomes.”
Why community‑driven moderation is gaining traction
Tech platforms are increasingly turning to community‑driven models as alternatives to professional fact‑checking. Meta recently ended its third‑party fact‑checking program in the United States, citing concerns about “too much censorship.” As a replacement, the company announced it would rely on Community Notes on Facebook and Instagram. Similar shifts occur on X and are part of a broader trend among platforms seeking to balance free speech with misinformation suppression.
Partisan concerns
Researchers caution that community notes can be influenced by partisan motivations. While the system can address certain misstatements—such as vaccine misinformation—its success is likely limited to topics where the public holds a broad consensus.
