EU Elections: TikTok to boost battle against fake news

In preparation for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June, TikTok, a social media platform owned by ByteDance, announced on Wednesday its plans to heighten its battle against fake news and covert influence campaigns. This initiative includes the rollout of a local language app in all 27 EU member states.

The decision to launch individual local language “election centers” builds upon TikTok’s previous efforts, which gained momentum during national elections in Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain last year.

The primary aim of the app is to provide European users with better insight into the electoral process, helping them navigate through accurate information amidst a landscape rife with misinformation.

Concerns surrounding the spread of fake news and the manipulation of elections, particularly through social media platforms, have prompted governments and politicians worldwide to take action.

Some 30% of European Parliament lawmakers use TikTok, the company said.

“Next month, we will launch a local language Election Centre in-app for each of the 27 individual EU member states to ensure people can easily separate fact from fiction,” TikTok’s head of trust & safety EMEA Kevin Morgan said in a blogpost.

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These centers will serve as hubs where users can access trusted and authoritative information, thanks to collaborations with local electoral commissions and civil society organizations.

TikTok has previously partnered with fact-checking organizations to produce educational content on election-related topics and misinformation. Looking ahead, the platform aims to expand its fact-checking network and launch nine additional media literacy campaigns in Europe this year.

Furthermore, TikTok plans to enhance transparency and accountability by introducing dedicated reports on covert influence operations in the coming months.