TikTok is implementing new rules to curb the influence of state-affiliated media accounts during a crucial election year. The popular short-form video platform announced that identified accounts attempting to influence communities outside their home country on global events will not appear on the main feed where users watch videos.
In addition, state-affiliated media accounts will no longer be allowed to advertise on the platform outside of their home country in the coming weeks. This policy change follows a study by the Brookings Institution that revealed Russian state-affiliated accounts increased their use of the platform and posted more messages in English and Spanish.
TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, is at the center of a political debate with claims that it poses a national security threat and potentially operates under China’s government influence. TikTok denies these claims and is currently suing the federal government over a new law that would force it to sever ties with ByteDance to continue operating in the U.S.
The platform also announced it will release regular updates on its efforts to combat covert influence operations. In the first four months of this year, TikTok disrupted 15 such operations, including one that targeted audiences in Indonesia ahead of the country’s presidential elections.
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