TikTok will now require “mandatory verification” for US-based political accounts.
The video-sharing platform has also announced plans to ban all political fundraising on the TikTok app.
In a blog post, Blake Chandlee, the president of global business solutions at TikTok, explained: “TikTok is an entertainment platform where people come to share their stories, and understand other people’s experiences, too. Those stories can touch on all aspects of their lives, including current events like elections and political issues.
“As we have set out before, we want to continue to develop policies that foster and promote a positive environment that brings people together, not divide them.
“We do that currently by working to keep harmful misinformation off the platform, prohibiting political advertising, and connecting our community with authoritative information about elections.
“Today, we are building on that approach by making a series of changes to government, politician, and political party accounts that we believe will help ensure TikTok remains a fun, positive and joyful experience.”
Blake also suggested that TikTok’s policy could be introduced in other countries in the coming weeks and months.
Blake said: “Verification lets our community know an account is authentic and belongs to the user it represents, which is a way to build trust between high-profile creators and their community.
“While many political accounts have added the verified badge to their profile already, doing so is currently optional. Starting today in the US, we’ll be trialling mandatory verification for accounts belonging to governments, politicians, and political parties through the midterm elections.”
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