It is not uncommon for political conflicts and misinformation
to spread across social media platforms around the time of important political
events. To reduce political discussions across its platform, especially with
regard to the upcoming midterm elections, TikTok has introduced a new policy
around what politically-affiliated accounts on the app are allowed to do. More specifically,
the company has announced a new verification policy and the removal of donation
and ad tools for political groups.
Highlighting the importance of verification of groups affiliated with governments and political parties on its app, TikTok says, “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.”
Additionally, TikTok has decided to completely restrict political
accounts from political advertising. This includes paid ads, as well as creator
accounts being paid directly to make branded content. “We currently do that by
prohibiting political content in an ad, and we’re also now applying
restrictions at an account level,” clarifies TikTok.
Lastly, TikTok will also prohibit political accounts from directing
people to donation pages on their websites, as well as accessing gifting and
tipping related features, so as to limit political fundraising practices.
