TikTok Will Ban All Political Fundraising On The App

TikTok announced on Wednesday that it will ban political campaign fundraising on its platform. This move will include videos requesting donations and directing viewers to political donation pages. 

It will also implement new policies for political accounts like “mandatory verification.” In other words, governments, politicians, and political parties will have to confirm their identities.

The new rules will also ensure viewers that they are watching videos from authentic sources. Also, the social app will bar political accounts from specific features.

These accounts will not have access to the Creator Fund. Moreover, they will not be able to use TikTok’s tipping, gifting, and eCommerce features.

The goal of updating TikTok guidelines

TikTok to verify political accounts in U.S., ban campaign fundraising https://t.co/FXUH1kjdiM pic.twitter.com/1PqxV5wopK

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 21, 2022

The news came from a blog post written by Blake Chandlee, the president of Global Business Solutions for TikTok. He said that the changes would “ensure TikTok remains a fun, positive and joyful experience.”

Chandlee added, “TikTok is first and foremost an entertainment platform, and we’re proud to be a place that brings people together over creative and entertaining content.”

“By prohibiting campaign fundraising and limiting access to our monetization features and verifying accounts, we’re aiming to strike a balance between enabling people to discuss the issues that are relevant to their lives while also protecting the creative, entertaining platform that our community wants.”

The new guidelines come a month after research regarding the spread of misinformation on TikTok. Tiffany Hsu, technology and disinformation reporter for the New York Times, discussed the issue on CBS News. 

She said that people can easily share false information behind fake accounts. For example, someone could revive a banned hashtag by changing letters with numbers.

Also, Hsu said TikTok uses automated moderation assisted by human moderators. However, the company has not shared details about these features. 

The report featured findings from Sensor Tower which says Americans spend an average of 82 minutes a day on TikTok. Also, they use the app two times more than Facebook and Instagram and three times more than Snapchat or Twitter.

Conclusion

TikTok is testing its new ban on political accounts in the United States. It will prevent politicians from soliciting election funds ahead of the US Midterm Elections on November 8, 2022.

The ban sparked new warnings about TikTok’s ability to manipulate information sharing worldwide. It is in China, so they claim its government may censor views that do not align with its goals.

TikTok denies these claims, but it is up to you whether you will fall victim to misinformation. You may check Inqurer USA for tips on how to spot fake news.