2025-04-16 16:00:40| Engadget
As TikTok continues to wait for a deal that will secure its future in the United States, the company is embracing a crowd-sourced approach to fact-checking. The service is adding Footnotes, a Community Notes-like feature that will allow contributors to add more context to videos on the platform.
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, TikToks head of operations and trust and safety Adam Presser wrote in a blog post.
The update, which has apparently been on the company's roadmap since last year, makes TikTok the latest platform to add a version of the crowd-sourced notes popularized by X. However unlike Meta, which recently began publishing Community Notes on its apps, TikToks update isnt coming with a change to its moderation policies or its fact-checking partnerships. Instead, the company describes the change as a way for users to add helpful details that may be missing. Footnotes wont affect a videos algorithmic ranking or its ability to appear on the For You page.
Presser says that the company will use 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. Thats clearly a reference to X, which created a ranking system that requires contributors to rate each others notes before they become publicly visible. Meta has adopted Xs Community Notes algorithm for its own apps. But while TikToks approach may be inspired by X, the company plans to use its own algorithm for Footnotes.
Its not yet clear exactly what Footnotes will look like on TikTok or how prominent they will be. Like Community Notes on X, Footnotes are required to cite a source, whether it's another TikTok video or a third-party website.
The company is kicking off its experiment by allowing users in the US to sign up to become contributors. Footnotes contributors must be 18 or older with an account at least 6 months old and without a recent history of a Community Guidelines violation. Over the next few months, contributors will be able to start writing notes and rating notes from others. It will be a few months before any Footnotes appear publicly in the US. The company hasnt indicated when Footnotes may roll out globally.
The change comes at a time when TikToks future in the US is still somewhat uncertain. President Donald Trump recently gave the company another 75-day extension to strike a deal that will allow it to remain in the US. Reports indicate that the White House favors a deal involving TikToks existing US investors, though its unclear how Trumps tariffs on China have affected the negotiations.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-is-adding-footnotes-its-take-on-community-notes-140040044.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Latest from this category |
|
|
