Having earned a stay of execution in the US, TikTok is doubling down on its local operations. The social network this week launched an in-app guide to the 2020 elections—"to provide access to authoritative information as we continue our work to protect against misinformation."
The guide, according to TikTok VP Michael Beckerman, head of US Public Policy, connects 100 million Americans with "trusted information." Read up about candidates at the federal, state, and local levels via BallotReady; learn how to vote in every state from the National Association of Secretaries of State; and watch videos about media literacy and the elections process curated by MediaWise.
Available in English, Spanish, and "dozens" of other languages, TikTok's directory also caters to communities that are often overlooked during election season: people with disabilities, overseas citizens or service members, students, or folks with past convictions. As with its COVID-19 resource hub, the election guide is housed within the Discovery page, and can also be found among election-related search results, as well as at the bottom of related videos and on videos from verified political accounts.
"Of course, TikTok isn't the go-to app for breaking news or politics, and we don't accept paid political ads on our app," according to Beckerman. "Still, we know TikTok is a home where Americans express themselves—and with that in mind, we're focused on supporting our users with education and authoritative information in important public issues."
In an emergency hearing on Sunday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration's attempt to ban new TikTok downloads in the US, declining "at this time" to block restrictions set to take effect in mid-November.
Beijing-based owner ByteDance has been looking to sell the popular video-sharing app since President Trump threatened a nationwide embargo, citing concerns about a Chinese company having access to US user data. In an effort to save the platform from sudden death, Oracle stepped in to acquire a 12.5 percent stake in TikTok Global. TikTok is also working on a commercial partnership with Walmart, which tentatively agreed to purchase 7.5 percent of the firm.