TikTok is trying to make its For You page a little more secure. TikTok announced on April 17 that it will update its community guidelines to limit hate speech and health misinformation from appearing on its For You page. The new guidelines are expected to come into effect in May.
Once the new guidelines go into effect, content flagged as promoting disordered eating or conspiracy theories will no longer appear on your For Your page. TikTok said in a press release that accounts that repeatedly share this type of content will be harder to find in search. TikTok also introduced a Creator Code of Conduct that imposes higher standards of conduct for influencers who participate in TikTok's monetization and rewards programs.
TikTok's announcement comes at a busy time for the social media platform. On April 20, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a national security spending bill that includes language that would force the sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. A similar bill failed to gain support in the Senate earlier this year, but TikTok and its users were very concerned that the bill would effectively ban TikTok. The new bill now faces a vote in the Senate.
Here's what you need to know about TikTok's new community guidelines and For You Page eligibility.
TikTok adds protections against hate speech and health misinformation
Community Guidelines are rules that govern what content is and is not allowed on the platform. TikTok has an additional layer to these guidelines that outlines what content is eligible to be recommended across the For You feed.
This is a pop-up message that TikTok sent on April 19th about changes to its community guidelines.
New to TikTok's Community Guidelines are two new standards regarding hate speech and health misinformation. The new standards state that content flagged as promoting disordered eating or conspiracy theories, such as videos about disordered eating or conspiracy theories, will not be eligible to appear in TikTok users' For You feeds.
TikTok provides several examples of what content it will exclude. When it comes to health misinformation, content that shows or describes “potentially harmful weight management behaviors” is off-limits. Videos that come to mind include people claiming to be nutritionists with questionable qualifications promoting intermittent fasting. We also exclude content that promotes weight loss products, rapid weight loss exercise regimens, or cosmetic surgery without appropriate risk warnings.
TikTok's misinformation category restricts sharing of “unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that claim that certain events or situations are being carried out by secret organizations or powerful groups such as 'governments' or 'secret societies.'” , sharing may be restricted in some cases. It was deleted. Other types of content that would be ineligible under this standard include posts that misrepresent the results of scientific studies, such as videos that claim vaccines are harmful when studies actually found the opposite. ) and posts that use recycled media, such as using footage of concert crowds and claiming: It's because of political protests.
By adding these new eligibility criteria, TikTok is trying to help you avoid falling down a potentially dangerous rabbit hole. The algorithm that creates the For You page is so powerful that if you interact with a certain type of content, TikTok will send you more of it. Limiting hate speech and health misinformation on your For You page can help you cut yourself off from the cycle of misinformation before it starts. To see how effectively TikTok actually does this, we'll have to wait until these guidelines take effect.
Updates to TikTok's warning strike system
In addition to updating its community guidelines, TikTok is rolling out a new feature called “Account Check” that allows users to check their account's status on TikTok. TikTok has been using a strike system for the past year, where each violation results in a strike, and once a certain number of strikes (depending on the type of violation) is reached, the account is banned.
Account checks should make it clearer if you have any videos flagged by TikTok as violating our policies. This feature audits your account and past 30 posts and highlights content that has been flagged as violating TikTok's guidelines. You can also see if you are restricted from using certain features, such as direct messaging, live streams, or comments. You can still appeal TikTok's decision.
Learn more about how to use Meta AI on Instagram and what Threads users need to know about Fediverse.
