TikTok is joining the ranks of social networks with Community Notes programs, which allow users to add context, corrections, and additional information to posts on the platform. The new feature is called Footnotes , and it will be rolled out first on short-form videos in the U.S.
TikTok is just the latest app to add user-generated notes for existing content, though it has yet to drop formal fact-checking and other content moderation entirely. In February, Meta announced plans for a Community Notes beta to replace fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads and is now admitting contributors from the program’s waitlist. YouTube and X both have active Community Notes programs as well (X’s Community Notes, formerly known as Birdwatch, replaced the option to report misleading content).
According to TikTok’s page explaining the program , Footnotes can only be added to public posts but will remain visible if those posts are made private. Creators can add footnotes to and rate footnotes on their own content if they are enrolled contributors. Footnotes must meet a threshold for “helpful” as rated by contributors before they become visible to all users (who can then vote on them as well).
TikTok will still partner with IFCN-accredited fact-checking organizations to assess the accuracy of content on the platform.
How to sign up to write TikTok Footnotes
Users in the U.S. can apply to write Footnotes starting today if they are at least 18 years old, have been on TikTok for six months or more, have a valid email address or U.S. phone number, and have no history of violating the platform’s community guidelines within the last six months. TikTok may also notify users who meet these eligibility requirements, and those approved for the program can begin contributing “over the coming months.”
