As the 2020 US elections get closer and closer, many social media platforms are gearing up to stop the spread of misinformation that tends to pop up around this time.
With Facebook restricting political ads and removing posts with false information, it makes sense that the popular video app, TikTok, has since come up with an in-app guide to the 2020 U.S. election in order to provide its users access to credible information.
The guide itself was posted on September 29th and is accessible through the app’s Discover page and other landing pages for election-related search results. The guide aims to offer users information on federal, state, and local candidates (powered by BallotReady), and a voting information tool.
The new guide was brought forth as an initiative to provide younger voters with the necessary and correct information for voting in this coming election, as well as providing voting resources to people with disabilities, those voting overseas, students, and information for people with past convictions.
While neither Trump nor Biden are present on the app, both seem fairly wary of its links to China and allegations of mishandling user data. With Biden’s campaign urging its staff to delete the app off their phones and Trump’s recent push to ban the app, it’s safe to say that neither are particularly big fans.
However, in a recent blog post, TikTok claims to have its users’ privacy in mind, stating that the app will not share any user’s voting information and that the users’ interactions with the guide will not have any influence over their future app experience.
Although TikTok has been under fire recently for its data collection habits, its election guide definitely seems to be a beneficial tool for providing its users with correct and credible information, especially during a time when misinformation is spread so rapidly.
How do you feel about TikTok’s new election guide? With the ever-growing spread of ‘fake news‘, it’s important to be vigilant, making sure your sources are credible! Check out our guide on how to spot fake news – you can never be too sure that you’re reading the truth!