After first previewing them again in April, TikTok has at present introduced an expanded launch of its personal model of Group Notes, known as “Footnotes,” which can allow TikTok customers so as to add contextual data to posts within the app.
As you’ll be able to see on this instance, TikTok’s Footnotes are the identical as X’s Group Notes function, offering further context on posts to assist clarify probably deceptive or incorrect data in related clips.
As defined by TikTok:
“Footnotes attracts on the collective data of the TikTok group by permitting individuals so as to add related data to content material on our platform. Beginning at present, U.S. customers within the Footnotes pilot program can begin to write and price footnotes on brief movies, and our U.S. group will start to see those rated as useful – and price them, too.”
So, yeah, it’s precisely like X’s Group Notes, offering one other data stream throughout the platform that may assist to higher inform the group.
Which may very well be useful, as extra perception is all the time higher, and varied research have proven that Group Notes can play a major function in slowing the unfold of misinformation in social media apps.
The important thing disadvantage of the Group Notes system, nonetheless, which has been replicated by Meta in its software of the method, and TikTok as nicely, is that with a view to show notes with out political bias, the system makes use of a differential weighting system, which implies that notes are solely displayed when observe raters of opposing beliefs agree {that a} observe is critical.
Which is a logical strategy, that does assist to alleviate biased and malicious observe utilization. However it additionally implies that on among the most divisive political points, no notes are going to be proven, as a result of on some points, there merely received’t ever be consensus between the 2 sides.
That is much less of a priority on Meta’s apps and on TikTok, as a result of each corporations have opted to keep up a stage of fact-checking and moderation, which can assist to catch out blatant considerations on this respect. However on X, which has eradicated third-party fact-checking completely, and gutted its moderation group, that implies that the overwhelming majority of notes are by no means proven, which has left the platform rife with unchecked misinformation, muddying the waters on varied main debates.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that this can be a unhealthy initiative, with research, once more, exhibiting that Group Notes do assist to scale back the dissemination of deceptive stories. However it could actually result in expanded considerations when platforms depend on consumer enter for a good portion of their moderation.
However it is usually the strategy that U.S. President Donald Trump prefers.
Trump needs to have the ability to say no matter he needs on social media, no matter reality, and he hates that the platforms ever selected to censor and prohibit content material based mostly on issues like information. So this has, seemingly, been part of the Trump Administration’s push, prompting the platforms that want Trump’s help, for no matter purpose, to fall into line with this request.
And TikTok, which is nonetheless dealing with a full ban within the U.S., undoubtedly wants to stay on Trump’s good aspect.
As such, it’s no shock to see Footnotes getting a broader roll out, as TikTok appears to exhibit to the Trump group that it’ll work with them, nonetheless it could actually.
TikTok says that virtually 80,000 U.S. customers have certified to contribute Footnotes, with extra being added every day. Notes will start showing to U.S. customers from this week.
