TikTok Footnotes: Testing Community Notes-Like Feature

TikTok Introduces “Footnotes” – A New Contextualization Feature

TikTok is currently evaluating a new functionality called “Footnotes,” which operates in a manner comparable to Community Notes found on X. The social media platform revealed on Wednesday that Footnotes will enable users to supplement videos with supplementary context and pertinent details. This aims to improve understanding of the content, initially for viewers within the United States.

Complementing Existing Content Reliability Measures

The company emphasizes that Footnotes will function alongside its existing strategies for assessing content reliability. These include content labeling and a dedicated fact-checking program. Unlike Meta’s recent shift, TikTok is not intending to replace its fact-checking processes with Footnotes.

How the Footnotes System Works

Footnotes utilizes a ranking system based on bridging differing viewpoints, as detailed in a company blog post. This system is similar to those employed by other community note features on platforms like X and Facebook.

Users with varied perspectives are permitted to contribute footnotes and evaluate their usefulness. A footnote will only become visible once it receives a “helpful” rating from the initial group of reviewers.

Subsequently, the wider TikTok community will have the opportunity to assess its helpfulness. TikTok anticipates that the system’s effectiveness will increase as more footnotes are created and rated across a broader range of subjects.

Enhancing Credibility and Context

While TikTok already provides avenues for user interaction through comments, Stitch, and Duet, the Footnotes feature introduces a novel method for sharing expertise. It leverages a consensus-driven approach to bolster content credibility.

TikTok suggests that Footnotes will be particularly valuable when videos address intricate STEM subjects, present potentially inaccurate statistics, or report on evolving events.

Addressing Misinformation Concerns

The rollout of Footnotes arrives amid scrutiny regarding the spread of misinformation on TikTok, particularly concerning health and elections. TikTok anticipates that this new feature will help mitigate the dissemination of inaccurate information by empowering its user base to contribute credibility and additional context.

Becoming a Footnotes Contributor

Beginning today, users in the United States can apply to become Footnotes contributors. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have been active on the platform for over six months, and maintain a record free of recent community guideline violations.

Future Implementation Details

TikTok intends to begin showcasing Footnotes from approved contributors in the coming months. The precise visual presentation of Footnotes and their placement within videos remain currently undefined.

Ongoing Commitment to Fact-Checking

TikTok reaffirms its ongoing collaboration with over 20 fact-checking organizations accredited by the IFCN. These organizations assess content accuracy in more than 60 languages across 130 global markets. Footnotes represent an additional layer to these efforts, providing more opportunities to add valuable details and enrich discussions on the platform, benefiting viewers, contributors, and creators.