TikTok Launches Elections Center to Counter Election Misinformation

TikTok has launched an Elections Center to connect users with authoritative information and sources in over 45 languages. The center provides information on how and where to vote, candidates and ballots, and the latest election results. TikTok is also promoting digital literacy through videos that encourage critical thinking about online content and provide information about voting.

To counter election misinformation, TikTok enforces strict policies against paid political advertising, election misinformation, harassment, hateful behavior, and violent extremism. The platform uses a combination of people and technology to enforce these policies and relies on community reports to identify content and accounts that violate the guidelines. TikTok also partners with independent fact-checking organizations to assess the accuracy of content in multiple languages.

The Elections Center is easily accessible through labels added to content related to the 2022 midterm elections, as well as content from government accounts, politicians, and political parties in the US. Users can click through to the center to get information about the elections in their state. TikTok also provides access to popular election hashtags, making it easier for users to find the center. Users can use the platform's tools to filter out videos with specific words or hashtags they do not want to see in their feeds.

TikTok is committed to continuously improving its practices and processes based on its experiences in elections globally. After the 2020 election, the platform identified the need to educate its community about the rules around paid influencer content. TikTok does not allow paid political ads and works to educate creators about their responsibilities to abide by the guidelines and FTC guidelines. The platform has introduced a tool for creators to disclose paid relationships with brands and organizations. TikTok will be publishing educational content and hosting briefings with creators and agencies to ensure a clear understanding of the rules regarding paid content around elections.

TikTok is dedicated to protecting the safety and integrity of its platform during elections and will be taking further steps regarding political accounts to foster an authentic environment for its community.

From our partners:

"We believe that access to accurate, unbiased, and non-partisan election information is crucial for informed voting decisions. We are pleased to work with TikTok to help their community understand the candidates and their positions, empowering them to vote confidently." - Leslie Graves, Ballotpedia Founder and CEO

"The Center for Democracy in Deaf America is committed to fostering political conversations and civic education through American Sign Language. We are proud to partner with TikTok to make civic information accessible to everyone." - Brendan Stern, Executive Director, Center for Democracy in Deaf America at Gallaudet University

"We saw historic youth and student voter turnout in the 2018 and 2020 elections. We have also seen the astounding growth of TikTok over that same time. Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project is excited to work with TikTok again this year to provide young people and students the information they need to navigate registering and voting, perhaps for the first time." - Mike Burns, National Director of Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project

"Democracy works best when everyone has the opportunity to vote without barriers. Restore Your Vote, a project of Campaign Legal Center, is glad to partner with TikTok to help empower people with felony convictions by giving them the tools they need to make their voice heard." — Blair Bowie, Restore Your Vote Manager, Campaign Legal Center