TikTok adds X-style community notes – here's how you can apply

Less than two months after Facebook added a new community notes feature that lets users add context to posts with missing or wrong information, TikTok is doing the same with something called Footnotes.

The company announced the feature in a blog post yesterday.

Also: How to become a Meta Community Notes editor

“Footnotes will draw on the collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content on our platform,” the post explains. To start, the platform is testing the feature in the US on short-form videos. It’s unclear where the notes will appear or how they will look. 

Footnotes on TikTok will work much like Community Notes on Facebook, only TikTok’s version doesn’t completely replace fact-checkers. 

If eligible users see a video that needs context, they can add a footnote. A bridging-based ranking system (one that rewards behavior that bridges divides) will find agreement between people who may have different viewpoints. If a footnote gets enough helpful ratings from other contributors, it becomes visible on TikTok, at which point the broader community can vote on it too. 

Footnote contributors must have been on the platform for at least six months, be 18 years or older, and have no recent history of violating Community Guidelines, TikTok says. The platform says it will open access to contributing footnotes over the coming months, but you can apply to be a contributor today. 

TikTok explained that as the system receives more footnotes on different topics, it will become smarter and more effective.

Also: Project Liberty’s plan to decentralize TikTok could be the blueprint for a better internet

If you want to apply, you can express your interest here.

TikTok says this will add to its suite of safety measures, which include content labels, search banners, its fact-checking program, and more.

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