TikTok Ads Transparency Concerns & Political Payola

TikTok and the Rise of Undisclosed Political Influence

Despite announcing a prohibition on political advertising in 2019, TikTok is facing scrutiny regarding the spread of political disinformation. The platform’s structure doesn’t necessarily prevent the dissemination of partisan messaging.

Loopholes and Lack of Transparency

Recent research conducted by Mozilla indicates that policy gaps and insufficient oversight, particularly concerning influencer marketing, are creating vulnerabilities. TikTok’s lack of a publicly accessible ad archive further exacerbates the issue.

The research revealed over a dozen instances of TikTok influencers, representing diverse political viewpoints, receiving compensation from political organizations to promote partisan content without proper disclosure.

Funding of Influencers Across the Political Spectrum

Mozilla’s findings demonstrate that TikTok influencers across the political spectrum have undisclosed financial relationships with various political organizations in the U.S.

Specifically, several right-wing influencers appear to be funded by conservative organizations like Turning Point USA, which actively supports young conservative content creators through a dedicated influencer program.

Left-Leaning Sponsored Content

Evidence also suggests the presence of left-leaning sponsored political messaging disseminated by TikTok influencers without adequate disclosures.

For example, The 99 Problems organization funded and created the Hype House account House of US, where influencers posted pro-Biden messages leading up to the U.S. presidential election.

Inadequate Tools for Disclosure

Mozilla’s report, titled “Th€se Are Not Po£itical Ad$: How Partisan Influencers Are Evading TikTok’s Weak Political Ad Policies”, criticizes TikTok for not providing sufficient tools for influencers to report sponsorships.

Other major social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, offer such tools and can flag content that fails to properly disclose advertisements.

TikTok Lags Behind Competitors

While self-disclosure policies, utilizing hashtags like #ad or #sponsored, are in place according to TikTok’s rules and U.S. Federal Trade Commission guidelines, Mozilla notes that TikTok significantly trails behind Instagram and YouTube in providing tools and enacting clear policies.

The lack of active monitoring and scrutiny raises concerns about the platform’s ability to enforce its “trust and safety” protocols.

Potential for Increased “Dark Money”

Rumors suggest TikTok is testing features that would allow influencers to pay to promote specific posts, potentially amplifying the problem of “dark money” political disinformation if sponsorship disclosures aren’t actively enforced.

There appear to be no safeguards preventing creators from utilizing this feature to promote paid political messages, and the extent of TikTok’s monitoring remains unclear.

Lack of Ad Transparency

A significant criticism highlighted in the report is TikTok’s general lack of ads transparency compared to other social platforms.

Unlike Facebook, Instagram, Snap, Google, and YouTube, TikTok does not offer a public, searchable ad database.

Mozilla’s Recommendations

Mozilla recommends that TikTok develop specific mechanisms for content creators to disclose partnerships, invest in comprehensive advertising transparency – including launching an ad database encompassing paid partnerships – and update its policies to cover all forms of paid political influence.

TikTok’s Response

TikTok acknowledged the concerns and stated: [TikTok's statement would be inserted here].

The company has recently created a branded content policy, including a “branded content toggle” to aid influencers in disclosing paid partnerships, a development noted by Mozilla researcher Becca Ricks.

However, Mozilla emphasizes that other recommendations remain unaddressed, and the platform still has a considerable way to go to achieve true transparency.

Broader Concerns and Regulatory Pressure

Mozilla’s report adds to the growing list of concerns surrounding TikTok’s platform, which faces pressure regarding content and wider policies, including ad disclosures.

EU regulators have initiated a formal “dialogue” with TikTok following complaints of hidden marketing, aggressive advertising targeting children, and misleading contractual terms.

Data Privacy and Age Verification Issues

Regional complaints have also raised concerns about TikTok’s approach to privacy and user data, leading to a lawsuit in the U.K. over its handling of children’s data.

Weak age verification prompted intervention from Italy’s data protection regulator, resulting in the removal of over half a million accounts suspected of being used by underage users.

Transparency Centers and Ongoing Opacity

TikTok has attempted to improve its image by establishing “Transparency Centers” in the U.S. and Europe, providing access to content moderation and security policies.

However, Mozilla points out that these centers lack detailed transparency regarding advertisements, failing to disclose data on rejected political ads, for instance.

The Future of Online Political Ad Transparency

TikTok’s lack of transparency regarding ads is facing increasing scrutiny as the issue of online political ad transparency gains global attention.

While a bipartisan bill in the U.S. aimed at regulating online ad sales stalled in 2017, European lawmakers are expected to propose regulations this fall to tighten ad disclosure and reporting requirements.