TikTok Implements New Rules to Restrict State-Affiliated Media Accounts
TikTok has implemented new limits that limit the reach of state-affiliated media accounts. Identified accounts seeking to influence global events will not appear in users' primary feeds. State-affiliated media outlets will no longer be permitted to promote beyond their native country.
The decision comes as the corporation looks to address worries about foreign influence during a critical election year.
TikTok announced on Thursday that accounts recognised as state-affiliated media, which seek to influence populations beyond their home nation on global events and affairs, will no longer display in users' primary feeds. This measure aims to prevent the spread of possibly biassed or misleading information.
Furthermore, TikTok announced that state-affiliated media accounts will no longer be able to advertise on the platform outside of their own nation. This decision seeks to limit the possible impact of foreign propaganda and ensure that users are not exposed to content influenced by external political objectives.
The new rules follow a recent analysis done by the nonprofit organisation Brookings Institution, which found that Russian state-affiliated accounts were using TikTok more frequently. These accounts were discovered to be sending out more messages in English and Spanish, raising concerns about the proliferation of foreign propaganda.
While the issue of foreign influence is not unique to TikTok, other social media platforms are also dealing with it. However, TikTok has received increased scrutiny because it is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. Critics claim that the platform offers a huge national security risk and may be influenced by the Chinese government.
TikTok has continually disputed these charges, and it is currently fighting a court battle with the US government over a new regulation that would require it to cut links with its parent firm in order to continue operating in the US. This case also names ByteDance, TikTok's parent firm, as a plaintiff.
In order to prevent covert influence campaigns on its platform, TikTok has vowed to offer regular updates on its activities. In the first four months of the year, the company disrupted 15 such operations, including one aimed at Indonesian consumers ahead of the country's presidential elections.
TikTok introduces new rules to limit the reach of state-affiliated media accounts
Identified accounts attempting to influence global events will not appear on users' main feeds
State-affiliated media accounts will no longer be allowed to advertise outside their home country
Source: AP NEWS