TikTok Starts Showing Warnings On Videos That Contain Unverified Information

TikTok is rolling out a new warning banner on videos that contain unverified information to discourage users from sharing them.

TikTok already identifies and removes misinformation from its platform after having fact-checkers at PolitiFact, Lead Stories, and SciVerify assess it. But sometimes, fact-checking proves inconclusive as it’s difficult to verify a piece of content’s accuracy – especially as major events unfold.

To limit the spread of potentially misleading information, TikTok makes some videos ineligible to appear in people’s For You feed, but now it’s adding a warning banner to videos that fact-checkers have been unable to substantiate. The whole idea is to limit sharing of possible misinformation.

The banner reads “Caution: Video flagged for unverified content,” and the video’s creator will also be notified.

When someone tries to share the flagged video, TikTok will show the prompt as a way to help them consider whether to “share anyway” or “cancel.” As TikTok Product Manager for Trust & Safety, Gina Hernandez explains,

“We love that our community’s creativity encourages people to share TikTok videos with others who might enjoy them – both within our platform and beyond – but we’ve designed this feature to help our users be mindful about what they share.”