Chinese social media platform, TikTok, has announced its plans to strengthen its efforts to fight against fake news and secret influence operations, in preparation for the European Parliament elections scheduled for June.
To this end, the ByteDance-owned company has also revealed that it will launch a local language app in all 27 European Union (EU) countries to help combat misinformation.
TikTok’s initiative builds upon work initiated in 2021 and accelerated last year during national elections in Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain. The platform aims to better inform European citizens about the electoral process, providing them with reliable and authoritative information.
TikTok’s head of trust & safety EMEA, Kevin Morgan, stressed the importance of ensuring that users can easily discern fact from fiction. He announced the launch of local language “Election Centres” within the app for each EU member state. These Election Centres will serve as hubs where users can access trusted information in their native languages.
TikTok will collaborate with local electoral commissions and civil society organisations to curate content for the Election Centres. The company has previously worked with news fact-checkers to produce educational videos about the electoral process and combat misinformation during national elections.
In addition to expanding its fact-checking network, TikTok plans to introduce nine additional media literacy campaigns in Europe this year. It also intends to enhance transparency and accountability by introducing dedicated reports on covert influence operations in the coming months.
With approximately 30% of European Parliament lawmakers using TikTok, the platform plays a significant role in shaping public discourse and political engagement. By bolstering its efforts to combat misinformation, TikTok aims to foster a more informed and resilient electorate ahead of the upcoming elections.
