TikTok Asks Users to Help Police Misinformation
TikTok will soon let some of its users help fight misinformation on the app, it said on Wednesday, following similar moves from Meta and X.
With a new feature, Footnotes, TikTok will let a select group of users add context and background information to some of the short videos on the app, along with links to the information’s sources. That group — for now, nearly 80,000 qualified users — will be able to rate those notes for helpfulness. Those with the highest ratings will be displayed at the bottom of all U.S. users’ screens.
Meta and Elon Musk’s X previously rolled out “community notes” programs, which have allowed the social media giants to back away from making decisions about what content to remove from their sites, and to avoid making fraught and sometimes politically loaded choices.
Unlike Meta and X, TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, said it was not ending any of its fact-checking programs or partnerships as it introduced Footnotes. Meta and X drew criticism for reducing investments in fact-checking and moderation that they had made in response to the viral spread of misinformation online, especially around the 2016 presidential election.
“Footnotes is not a replacement for content moderation. Rather, it adds context to content on TikTok,” a company spokeswoman said in an email.
At least initially, TikTok will let its contributors cite any sources to back up their Footnotes. The contributor program is open to U.S. users who are 18 or older, had been on the app at least six months as of April and had no recent history of violating TikTok’s community guidelines.
“We do expect that links to fact-checking articles, links to Wikipedia, these will be among some of the examples of what our users are directing to,” Erica Ruzic, TikTok’s head of integrity and authenticity, said on Tuesday at a company Trust and Safety event before the launch. “But we will let our users decide what they’re deeming an authoritative source, to begin.”
TikTok is drawing attention to safety on its platform after a tumultuous few years in the United States. The app, which boasts 170 million American users, has been fending off a ban under a new federal law that demanded that the company find a non-Chinese owner. President Trump has extended the deadline repeatedly, most recently to mid-September.
At the event on Tuesday, panelists discussed other harm-reduction efforts on the app, including new features that allow parents to have more oversight of their child’s account. It’s a reminder that amid all the political turmoil, TikTok also faces the same problems that any other social media company does, including disinformation and safety issues involving children and teenagers.
Community Notes à la TikTok: Footnotes Launch in the U.S.
Following in the footsteps of X and Meta when it comes to content moderation, TikTok is now heading down a similar path (but it’s not pure copy-catting 😽). The platform has introduced its own version of community notes in the U.S., called Footnotes.
They don’t work exactly the same way as Meta’s or X’s versions, so let’s break down what you actually need to know and what the key differences are.
What are TikTok Footnotes?
Footnotes are TikTok’s take on community notes — short, user-written notes that will appear under videos.
Users can add a quick explanation or context to a video. For example, flagging AI-generated content, correcting a misleading claim, or linking to a reliable source.
TikTok gave us this preview:
Who can write Footnotes?
Right now, only around 80,000 U.S.-based users have been approved to write Footnotes. You’ll need to meet a few requirements to join the contributor club:
- You must live in the U.S.
- Your account has to be at least 6 months old
- No recent violations of TikTok’s Community Guidelines
TikTok is still accepting new contributors, so if you’re eligible, you can apply to participate.
And just so you know, every Footnote must be backed by a source. Moderation is handled through a mix of automation, community reviews, and human reviewers.
How Does TikTok Decide Which Footnotes Appear?
Through something called the “bridging algorithm”.
Let’s say Andrew, a TikTok footnote writer, writes a note to add context to a TikTok. He cites a credible source. Then, George and Wendy (two other approved footnote writers) will review his note and rate it as helpful (or not).
Andrew’s footnote only gets displayed when there is a “broad consensus among reviewers with diverse perspectives” that the note is helpful.
As more people contribute and the algorithm gets smarter, Footnotes will appear more frequently. Viewers can also rate them, and if something feels off, you can report them.
Dual Verification: Community + Fact-Checkers
TikTok’s approach isn’t “community notes instead of fact-checkers”, but it’s rather both.
Footnotes are designed to be an addition to TikTok’s professional fact-checking efforts, not replace them. The idea is to layer different verification methods together. Something we haven’t seen quite as clearly from X or Meta.
And yep, it’s still early days. So don’t expect Footnotes to show up under every video just yet. But over time, as more contributors join and the system learns what’s helpful, you’ll likely see more of them.
So… What Does This Mean for Creators and Social Media Marketers?
Here’s the part that matters for your strategy: Footnotes don’t affect your reach; at least not for now. But they can affect how people perceive your content.
If you’re building a brand on TikTok (or helping someone who is), Footnotes are something to keep an eye on. With all the regulatory pressure in the U.S., TikTok is making efforts to improve transparency.
