TikTok Bans Paid Political Influencer Videos Ahead of US Midterm Elections

TikTok will work to stop content material creators from posting paid political messages on the short-form video app, as a part of its preparation for the US midterm election in November, the corporate stated on Wednesday.

Critics and lawmakers accuse TikTok and rival social media corporations together with Meta Platforms and Twitter of doing too little to cease political misinformation and divisive content material from spreading on their apps.

While TikTok has banned paid political advertisements since 2019, marketing campaign strategists have skirted the ban by paying influencers to advertise political points. The firm seeks to shut the loophole by internet hosting briefings with creators and expertise companies to remind them that posting paid political content material is in opposition to TikTok’s insurance policies, stated Eric Han, TikTok’s head of US security, throughout a briefing with reporters.

He added that inner groups, together with people who work on belief and security, will monitor for indicators that creators are being paid to publish political content material, and the corporate can even depend on media stories and out of doors companions to search out violating posts.

“We saw this as an issue in 2020,” Han stated. “Once we find out about it … we will remove it from our platform.”

TikTok broadcast its plan following related updates from Meta and Twitter.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, stated Tuesday it would limit political advertisers from operating new advertisements per week earlier than the election, an motion it additionally took in 2020.

Last week, Twitter stated it deliberate to revive earlier methods for the midterm election, together with putting labels in entrance of some deceptive tweets and inserting dependable data into timelines to debunk false claims earlier than they unfold additional on-line. Civil and voting rights specialists stated the plan was not enough to arrange for the election.

© Thomson Reuters 2022