TikTok launches footnotes: the new collaborative feature to add context to videos

The TikTok platform has taken a relevant step to improve the information and transparency in videos with the start of its pilot program FootnotesThis feature relies on user collaboration and is designed to enable the community to provide additional context to the content you share, helping to better interpret what is published and reducing the scope for misinformation and misunderstandings.

The launch, which At the moment it is being developed in the United States, responds to an increasingly widespread trend on social networks: involve users themselves in moderation tasks and data verification, following initiatives already implemented by platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and recent experiments on Facebook or Instagram.

What is TikTok's new footnote feature?

The Footnotes They function as attached comments that some users can add to public videos to provide relevant information or clarify the contextThe system has been specifically designed to clarify content that may be confusing, have a satirical tone or give rise to misinterpretations, and is directly inspired by solutions such as X Community Notes.

One of the keys to the functioning of this tool is that Not all profiles can collaborate by default. At the moment, participation is restricted to about 80.000 people that meet the requirements established by TikTok, among which stand out reside in the United States, have an account that is more than six months old and have not recently violated the platform's rules.

In addition to adding new notes, these collaborators have options to assess the usefulness of the annotations that others have done. That is, The system relies on both the creation and evaluation of the users themselves., allowing the most useful or appropriate content to gain greater visibility.

An ongoing project that will evolve

The The first footnotes will begin appearing on American videos in the coming weeks.TikTok has asked users to be patient, as the feature is still in its early stages and requires a learning curve. This means that the posting pace may be slow at first until users get the hang of it. collaborators become familiar with the dynamics and increase the number of contributions and ratings.

The social network has confirmed that participation in the footnote program still open, so any user who meets the requirements can request to join as a contributor. As more people participate and ratings are made on notes on different topics, the system will refine its ability to detect and promote the most useful annotations.

Mixed moderation: technology and human intervention

To ensure the quality and reliability of footnotes, TikTok will employ a combination of automated moderation and human review. The goal is to only publish annotations that respect the Community Standards and those that violate the platform's policies are eliminatedAdditionally, users will be able to report notes they consider misleading, inappropriate, or inappropriate, which helps maintain the integrity of the system.

Another important aspect is that footnotes are subject to the same rules as the rest of the content on TikTok. Disinformation, hate speech, or any abusive behavior is not allowed. and may result in expulsion from the program for those who do not meet the standards.

The industry's response and doubts about its effectiveness

The implementation of footnotes not only responds to the growing concern about misinformation on social media, but also follows the model of other technology platforms that rely on community-based moderation. In the past, similar projects have shown both advantages and limitations: they can encourage collective reflection and error correction, but there are also risks such as Low participation, bias in assessments or the appearance of blockages when sufficient consensus is not reached.

Fact-checking experts see opportunities in these types of tools, as directly involve users in improving information available. However, they insist that, to be truly effective, these functions must be complemented by other measures and not completely replace the work of professional moderators or external verifiers.

TikTok complements this new feature with other initiatives focused on security and trust, such as tags for AI-generated content or new identity verification options for creators.

By separating footnotes from content, TikTok aims to offer more reliable and transparent contentAlthough there are still aspects that need to be fine-tuned and the launch is currently limited to the United States, the platform is already open to a global rollout, depending on its success and acceptance among the community. The evolution of this initiative will allow us to assess whether it achieves an effective balance between participation, rigor, and agility in the fight against disinformation.