TikTok has announced the launch of their new in-app Election Guide, supported by the Australian Election Commission.
The social media platform said they are committed to providing access to trustworthy and relevant information for their Australian community in the lead up to the 2022 federal election.
The guide will help promote the importance of being enrolled to vote and provide authoritative information on the election process – from where to vote and the ways to vote, through to preferential voting explainers – developed by the Australian Electoral Commission.
TikTok users will be guided to the Election Guide when they search for election-related content, and view election-related videos and reflects our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform and the Australian federal election.
The platform is committed to helping their community participate in the election process from the beginning ot the enrolment stage. They have committed to directing their community to the Elections Guide on the Australian Electoral Commission’s website to enrol to vote and check their enrolment status.
It has also partnered with the Australian Associated Press (AAP) in addition to our existing partnership with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to bolster fact-checking efforts and limit the spread of misinformation.
The platform will also add Public Service Announcements to election-related pages to remind people to follow their Community Guidelines, verify facts, and report content they believe may violate their policies.
In terms of reporting, TikTok has made it easier for users to report misleading content through the app with a specific election misinformation reporting button available to our community which will trigger a report to their team who review alerts in accordance with our policies around misinformation.
TikTok has also established a dedicated reporting channel for the AEC to flag content they believe may be in breach of any local electoral laws or our Community Guidelines.
TikTok noted that they do no accept paid political advertisements on their platform. The platform is also focused on supporting their users with education and authoritative information on important public issues.
Their goal is to keep the platform a place where authentic content can thrive, and their Election Guide reflects their ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform, and the Australian Federal election.
Evan Ekin-Smyth, director of digital engagement – Australian Electoral Commission, said: “We’re liaising closely with TikTok and greatly appreciate their collaboration in driving participation in the election process, and on measures designed to preserve election integrity.
“We’re excited by TikTok’s Election Guide and its potential to be an important resource for the platform’s community. The hub will help Australian voters on TikTok access credible, reliable information to enrol and vote,” he added.
Lisa Davies, CEO, Australian Associated Press said: “AAP has always been committed to factual, independent content and through AAP FactCheck, we are also actively working to minimise the spread of misinformation.
“Our partnership with TikTok is a significant expansion of that work and in the context of the forthcoming federal election, this will take on increased importance,” she added.