After first previewing them again in April, TikTok has at this time introduced an expanded launch of its personal model of Group Notes, referred to as “Footnotes,” which is able to allow TikTok customers so as to add contextual info to posts within the app.
As you’ll be able to see on this instance, TikTok’s Footnotes are the identical as X’s Group Notes function, offering extra context on posts to assist clarify doubtlessly deceptive or incorrect info in related clips.
As defined by TikTok:
“Footnotes attracts on the collective data of the TikTok neighborhood by permitting folks so as to add related info to content material on our platform. Beginning at this time, U.S. customers within the Footnotes pilot program can begin to write and price footnotes on quick movies, and our U.S. neighborhood will start to see those rated as useful – and price them, too.”
So, yeah, it’s precisely like X’s Group Notes, offering one other info stream throughout the platform that may assist to raised inform the neighborhood.
Which could possibly be useful, as extra perception is all the time higher, and numerous research have proven that Group Notes can play a major function in slowing the unfold of misinformation in social media apps.
The important thing disadvantage of the Group Notes system, nonetheless, which has been replicated by Meta in its utility of the method, and TikTok as nicely, is that with the intention to show notes with out political bias, the system makes use of a differential weighting system, which signifies that notes are solely displayed when observe raters of opposing beliefs agree {that a} observe is important.
Which is a logical strategy, that does assist to alleviate biased and malicious observe utilization. But it surely additionally signifies that on a few of the most divisive political points, no notes are going to be proven, as a result of on some points, there merely received’t ever be consensus between the 2 sides.
That is much less of a priority on Meta’s apps and on TikTok, as a result of each firms have opted to take care of a stage of fact-checking and moderation, which is able to assist to catch out blatant considerations on this respect. However on X, which has eradicated third-party fact-checking solely, and gutted its moderation crew, that signifies that the overwhelming majority of notes are by no means proven, which has left the platform rife with unchecked misinformation, muddying the waters on numerous main debates.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that it is a dangerous initiative, with research, once more, displaying that Group Notes do assist to cut back the dissemination of deceptive stories. However it may well result in expanded considerations when platforms depend on person enter for a good portion of their moderation.
However additionally it is the strategy that U.S. President Donald Trump prefers.
Trump desires to have the ability to say no matter he desires on social media, no matter fact, and he hates that the platforms ever selected to censor and limit content material based mostly on issues like details. So this has, seemingly, been part of the Trump Administration’s push, prompting the platforms that want Trump’s help, for no matter motive, to fall into line with this request.
And TikTok, which is nonetheless going through a full ban within the U.S., undoubtedly wants to stay on Trump’s good aspect.
As such, it’s no shock to see Footnotes getting a broader roll out, as TikTok appears to show to the Trump crew that it’s going to work with them, nonetheless it may well.
TikTok says that virtually 80,000 U.S. customers have certified to contribute Footnotes, with extra being added every day. Notes will start showing to U.S. customers from this week.
