{"id":38,"date":"2025-08-03T02:29:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T02:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/?p=38"},"modified":"2025-08-03T02:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T02:29:28","slug":"tiktok-asks-users-to-help-police-misinformation-footnotes-launch-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/tiktok-asks-users-to-help-police-misinformation-footnotes-launch-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"TikTok Asks Users to Help Police Misinformation: Footnotes Launch in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>TikTok Asks Users to Help Police Misinformation<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s sources. That group \u2014 for now, nearly 80,000 qualified users \u2014 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\u2019 screens.<\/p>\n<p>Meta and Elon Musk\u2019s X previously rolled out \u201ccommunity notes\u201d programs, which\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/meta-says-it-will-follow-x-replace-fact-checking-with-community-notes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have allowed the social media giants<\/a>\u00a0to back away from making decisions about what content to remove from their sites, and to avoid making fraught and sometimes politically loaded choices.<\/p>\n<section>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div>\n<p>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.\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cly74mpy8klo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meta<\/a>\u00a0and 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.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/tiktok-asks-users-to-help-police-misinformation-footnotes-launch-in-the-u-s\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-40\" src=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1-1024x639.png\" alt=\"TikTok Footnotes Launch in the U.S.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1-1024x639.png 1024w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1-512x320.png 512w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1-920x574.png 920w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TikTok-1.png 1033w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div>\n<p>\u201cFootnotes is not a replacement for content moderation. Rather, it adds context to content on TikTok,\u201d a company spokeswoman said in an email.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s community guidelines.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe 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,\u201d Erica Ruzic, TikTok\u2019s head of integrity and authenticity, said on Tuesday at a company Trust and Safety event before the launch. \u201cBut we will let our users decide what they\u2019re deeming an authoritative source, to begin.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-38-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/v1.pinimg.com\/videos\/iht\/720p\/f5\/e2\/cb\/f5e2cb3ebdf8567b0f1ed6a633511866.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/v1.pinimg.com\/videos\/iht\/720p\/f5\/e2\/cb\/f5e2cb3ebdf8567b0f1ed6a633511866.mp4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/v1.pinimg.com\/videos\/iht\/720p\/f5\/e2\/cb\/f5e2cb3ebdf8567b0f1ed6a633511866.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>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\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/jun\/19\/third-tiktok-ban-extension-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">under a new federal law<\/a>\u00a0that demanded that the company find a non-Chinese owner. President Trump\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.msnbc.com\/opinion\/msnbc-opinion\/trump-tiktok-law-congress-president-block-sale-bytedance-rcna217323\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has extended<\/a>\u00a0the deadline repeatedly, most recently to mid-September.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<p>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\u2019s account. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<h2>Community Notes \u00e0 la TikTok: Footnotes Launch in the U.S.<\/h2>\n<aside aria-label=\"companion column\"><\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div>\n<p>Following in the footsteps of X and Meta when it comes to content moderation, TikTok is now heading down a similar path (but it\u2019s not pure copy-catting \ud83d\ude3d).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.tiktok.com\/en-us\/rolling-out-tiktok-footnotes-in-the-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The platform has introduced<\/a>\u00a0its own version of community notes in the U.S., called<em>\u00a0Footnotes<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t work exactly the same way as Meta\u2019s or X\u2019s versions, so let\u2019s break down what you actually need to know and what the key differences are.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-are-tiktok-footnotes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are TikTok Footnotes?<\/h2>\n<p>Footnotes are TikTok\u2019s take on community notes \u2014 short, user-written notes that will appear under videos.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>TikTok gave us this preview:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/tiktok-asks-users-to-help-police-misinformation-footnotes-launch-in-the-u-s\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-39\" src=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Footnotes-Launch-in-the-U.S.png\" alt=\"Tiktok\" width=\"787\" height=\"563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Footnotes-Launch-in-the-U.S.png 787w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Footnotes-Launch-in-the-U.S-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Footnotes-Launch-in-the-U.S-768x549.png 768w, https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Footnotes-Launch-in-the-U.S-512x366.png 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-who-can-write-footnotes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who can write Footnotes?<\/h2>\n<p>Right now, only around 80,000 U.S.-based users have been approved to write Footnotes. You\u2019ll need to meet a few requirements to join the contributor club:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You must live in the U.S.<\/li>\n<li>Your account has to be at least 6 months old<\/li>\n<li>No recent violations of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/community-guidelines\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TikTok\u2019s Community Guidelines<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>TikTok is still accepting new contributors, so if you\u2019re eligible, you can apply to participate.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-how-does-tiktok-decide-which-footnotes-appear\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_Does_TikTok_Decide_Which_Footnotes_Appear\" class=\"ez-toc-section\"><\/span>How Does TikTok Decide Which Footnotes Appear?<\/h2>\n<p>Through something called the\u00a0<strong>\u201cbridging algorithm\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n<p>Andrew\u2019s footnote only gets displayed when there is a \u201cbroad consensus among reviewers with diverse perspectives\u201d that the note is helpful.<\/p>\n<p>As more people contribute and the algorithm gets smarter, Footnotes will appear more frequently.<strong>\u00a0Viewers can also rate them<\/strong>, and if something feels off, you can report them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/tiktok-asks-users-to-help-police-misinformation-footnotes-launch-in-the-u-s\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i.pinimg.com\/736x\/c8\/f2\/0e\/c8f20ea33ae634b298d5b473855af189.jpg\" width=\"736\" height=\"1311\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-dual-verification-community-fact-checkers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dual Verification: Community + Fact-Checkers<\/h2>\n<p>TikTok\u2019s approach isn\u2019t \u201ccommunity notes instead of fact-checkers\u201d, but it\u2019s rather both.<\/p>\n<p>Footnotes are designed to be an addition to TikTok\u2019s professional fact-checking efforts, not replace them. The idea is to layer different verification methods together. Something we haven\u2019t seen quite as clearly from X or Meta.<\/p>\n<p>And yep, it\u2019s still early days. So don\u2019t expect Footnotes to show up under every video just yet. But over time, as more contributors join and the system learns what\u2019s helpful, you\u2019ll likely see more of them.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-so-what-does-this-mean-for-creators-and-social-media-marketers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"So%E2%80%A6_What_Does_This_Mean_for_Creators_and_Social_Media_Marketers\" class=\"ez-toc-section\"><\/span>So\u2026 What Does This Mean for Creators and Social Media Marketers?<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s the part that matters for your strategy:\u00a0<strong>Footnotes don\u2019t affect your reach<\/strong>; at least not for now. But they\u00a0<em>can<\/em>\u00a0affect how people perceive your content.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TikTok Asks Users to Help Police Misinformation TikTok will soon let some of its users help fight misinformation&hellip;","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tiktok","tag-tiktok","cs-entry"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions\/44"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssstt.app\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}