Inside TikTok’s Trust & Transparency Summit

As South Africa prepares for its democratic elections on May 29, TikTok has taken proactive measures to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process as social media continues to play a critical role in shaping public opinion and political discourse.

To maintain electoral integrity and strengthen public confidence in democratic processes, TikTok recently displayed its cutting-edge content-moderation tactics at the Trust & Accountability Centre which took place at its Singaporean offices for the Trust & Transparency summit. Additionally, the summit underscored the importance of collaboration between IT companies and legislators in addressing false information on the internet.

Every day, TikTok removes around 2 million pieces of content, with AI systems identifying 77% and human moderators identifying the remaining 23%.

The AI systems can quickly identify harmful content by scanning videos for items like dangerous objects, alcohol, extremist symbols, and smoking. For example, the AI system may fail to detect a harmful video due to its complexity or ambiguity, resulting in the platform missing potentially dangerous content.

Moreover, human moderators can make mistakes or miss certain video details, which may lead to harmful content persisting on TikTok despite the dual moderation approach. Platforms like TikTok must consistently enhance their AI systems and offer comprehensive training to human moderators to swiftly identify and remove harmful content.

The combination of AI technology and human expertise helps platforms better shield users from harmful or inappropriate content. Continuous monitoring and updates are crucial in the ongoing fight against harmful content on social media platforms.

TikTok’s In-App Election Center: A Hub of Verified Information

To support an informed electorate, TikTok has launched an in-app election center. This feature serves as a central hub where users can access authoritative information about the South African elections directly from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

TikTok has collaborated with numerous government agencies and fact-checking groups, including Politifact, Africa Check, the International Fact-Checking Network, and Thomson Reuters, to guarantee the veracity of the content in order to address this issue.

With a proactive removal rate of 96.1% and a removal rate within 24 hours of 86.3%, the platform eliminates over 721,120 videos annually. Additionally, TikTok maintains tight ties to regional law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The Independent Electoral Commission and the South African Human Rights Commission have been integrated into the platform in South Africa to guarantee adherence to domestic regulations and statutes.

According to the company, this system guarantees that requests for content removal can only be made by the government and verified agencies.

Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, TikTok’s Public Policy and Government Relations Director, emphasized the importance of the in-app election center, stating, “Protecting the integrity of our platform, particularly around elections, is a responsibility we take seriously. We’re proud to be a place that brings people together, and we work hard to keep harmful misinformation off our platform.”