TikTok tests new community-led Footnotes feature to combat misinformation
The new Footnotes tool encourages community input to add valuable context to videos on the platform.
TikTok’s Footnotes
TikTok has begun testing Footnotes, a new feature designed to bring community-sourced context to posts. Sound familiar? That’s because it mirrors X (formerly Twitter)’s Community Notes and similar efforts by Meta that aims to improve content accuracy on social media.
With the rise of misinformation across all social media platforms, TikTok’s Footnotes could be a helpful addition to the platform’s existing content moderation efforts.
How it works
Currently testing in the US, Footnotes allows eligible users to add contextual information to videos. To qualify as a Footnotes contributor, users must:
- Have been on TikTok for at least 6 months.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Have no recent Community Guidelines violations.
Once accepted, contributors can add notes to videos. Other contributors then vote on how helpful these notes are. Only footnotes that meet the “helpful” threshold will be shown to the wider community. At this stage, the community can then also vote on the helpfulness of each footnote.
Footnotes uses a bridge-based system to find a consensus across differing opinions, inspired by open-source models used by other platforms. Unlike Meta, this feature will not replace TikTok’s existing moderation or fact-checking tools. Instead, Footnotes will complement those efforts that attempt to ensure content is reliable and marked if it cannot be verified.
Will it be useful?
While TikTok already fosters discussion through its comment section, as well as interactive features like Stitch and Duet, Footnotes takes this community contribution a step further. By enabling users to directly add helpful context, TikTok hopes Footnotes will help users understand content better and improve their experience on the platform.
TikTok suggests Footnotes could be especially valuable in:
- STEM-related content, where accuracy iscrucial
- Videos discussing ongoing events, where key details are important
- Posts using statistics or claims that could easily be misunderstood or misrepresented
Looking ahead
TikTok will be hoping to collect vital feedback during the testing period before a wider rollout. If successful, Footnotes could add an extra level of context and credibility to the platform.
As misinformation gains prominence on social media platforms, features like Footnotes highlight the growing emphasis on transparency, trust, and collaboration in content creation- something that every artist navigating social media should keep an eye on when engaging with their audience.