TikTok to Verify Political Accounts in the US, Ban Campaign Fundraising

TikTok will begin requiring accounts belonging to U.S. government departments, politicians, and political parties to be verified and will ban videos aimed at campaign fundraising, the short-form video app said on Wednesday.

The move comes as TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, and other social media platforms are working to clamp down on political misinformation ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, after years of being criticized for allowing such content to flourish on their services.

Political accounts can submit a request for verification, TikTok said, and the company will also work to confirm the authenticity of profiles it believes belong to politicians or political parties.

A verified account, indicated by a blue checkmark on TikTok and other platforms like Twitter, means the platform has confirmed the ownership of the account.

TikTok has long faced scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers, who have questioned the Chinese-owned app’s safeguards of user data. The app has also sought to preserve its image as a place for dance videos and comedy skits and has banned political advertising since 2019.

To help enforce the ban, accounts belonging to politicians and parties will automatically be prevented from accessing advertising features, TikTok said in a blog post.

TikTok said it will update its policies to prohibit campaign fundraising. Content that will be banned under the new policy includes videos from politicians soliciting donations or political parties directing users to donate on their websites.

The accounts will also be prohibited from using money-making features available to influencers on the app, like digital payments and gifting.

Reuters

Follow us on:

AriseNews

Recent Posts

IGP Orders Investigation into Death of Ilorin Detainee Jimoh Abdulquadri in Police Custody

IGP Egbetokun has ordered an investigation into Jimoh Abdulquadri’s death in police custody, promising justice…

4 minutes ago

Trump Dismisses Claims That Elon Musk Holds Real Power Behind US President-Elect

Donald Trump has rejected suggestions that Elon Musk is the true influence behind the newly…

10 minutes ago

Tiger Woods’ 15-Year-Old Son Charlie Achieves His First Hole-in-One

Tiger Woods' son Charlie has achieved his first golf hole-in-one during the final round of…

12 minutes ago

New Zealand Rejects Cook Islands’ Bid For A Separate Passport

New Zealand has rejected the Cook Islands’ proposal for a separate passport, requiring full independence…

35 minutes ago

Honda, Nissan Eye Major Merger, Aim to Finalise Deal by 2025

Honda and Nissan plan a merger to create the world’s third-largest automaker, aiming to finalise…

36 minutes ago

Trump Chooses Ex-Bank President As Latin America Envoy Despite Alleged Affair Scandal

Trump has selected ex-bank president Mauricio Claver-Carone as Latin America envoy, despite past misconduct allegations…

39 minutes ago