On Tuesday, TikTok launched a US election guide as part of an effort to battle misinformation on the wildly popular video-sharing app that the White House has targeted for a ban.
TikTok’s in-app guide provides links to voter registration pages and access to election information from sources such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and BallotReady, according to head of US public policy Michael Beckerman.
In a blog post Beckerman said: “Our goal is to keep TikTok a place where authentic content can thrive, and our elections guide reflects our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform and the US elections.”
The guide can be accessed from a Discover page in the TikTok app and will appear on election-related search results, according to Beckerman.
It will also be linked at the bottom of videos related to the election or on verified political accounts, he said.
“On TikTok we’re seeing how people, especially younger voters, are passionate about important issues and are ready to make their voices heard,” BallotReady chief executive Alex Niemczewski said in the release.
“Younger voters often do not realize everything that will appear on their ballot, and we believe that TikTok can help them vote their entire ballot.”
MediaWise at the Poynter Institute will post a series of videos on TikTok aimed at teaching first-time voters how to spot bogus information online, according to program manager Katy Byron.
Byron said: “We are excited to partner with TikTok to help teach their community how to sort fact from fiction online.”
