TikTok has announced a set of updates to its Community Guidelines to bring the service in line with the world’s current landscape. The main objective is to protect users from situations that are threatening, uncomfortable or incompatible with short videos.
The first change is to frame service to the world with artificial intelligence. The new rules now cover content created or modified by AIs, such as ChatGPT, DALL-E and Midjourney.
Today, there is a series of content created with generative AI tools, but there is some doubt as to the authorship and veracity of the materials. According to TikTok, so-called “manipulated or synthetic media” that show realistic scenes must present clear information about the nature of the content, with the use of hashtags or descriptions.
The platform will not allow videos with AI images of a real person that are not public. Fake content from public figures will also be banned if it is used to endorse or violate any other policy.
Change in term “tribe”
Another change is the inclusion of the term “tribe” in the regulations, with the purpose of protecting it from hate speech and hateful behavior policies. The word is generally used to represent a human group united by language, customs, institutions and traditions.
But many people use the expression in a pejorative sense, trying to associate it with wild or disqualified behavior. By protecting this usage, TikTok prevents creating attacks on minorities represented by different tribes.
Civic and electoral integrity
The third and final change is the incorporation of TikTok’s efforts to protect civic and electoral integrity. Accounts associated with governments, authorities, members of elected office and political parties must abide by the rules to avoid attacks on democracy.
The rules prohibit videos that spread misinformation about civic and electoral processes, regardless of intent. “This includes misleading information about how to vote, registering to vote, candidates’ eligibility requirements, about the processes for counting votes and validating elections, and about the final outcome of an election,” the policy explains.
The measure seems to be supported by the agreement signed between the Chinese social network and other platforms with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) and the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to curb the use of connections for the purpose of spreading misinformation. In recent years, social media have become the stage for mass mobilization for violent protests, cancellations, dissemination of fake news and attacks against democratic institutions.
How will the TikTok Guidelines work?
The change is already available from this Tuesday (21) for everyone’s knowledge and will apply to all profiles and content on the platform. Despite this, it should only come into effect on April 21, with a month of adaptation.
According to TikTok, various training will be offered to platform moderators in the coming months to carry out the correct application. Everything will be organized by topics and explanations, including possible prohibited content and guidelines on how to act if your post violates the policy.
The following are fundamental pillars of moderation:
- Remove violating content;
- Restrict content from certain topics so that it can only be viewed by adults 18 years of age or older;
- Make content ineligible for recommendation on the For You page — only age-appropriate content will appear there;
- Empower the TikTok community with information, tools, and resources to stay in control of their experience.
Even in the case of content created for adults, you will still need to follow the community guidelines. This means that content such as pornography, graphic violence, sexual abuse, gambling, drug use and other improper practices remain prohibited.
Anyone who tries to circumvent the rules by creating fake or alternative accounts may have their “official profiles” banned from the network. In the coming weeks, the service is expected to include more details about informational labels, warnings and optional screens displayed to users.
How the new TIkTok Community Guidelines were created
The focus of the change is to explain a little more about TikTok’s principles, as well as the decision-making process. This set of rules lays out details about content moderation so that everyone gets fairer treatment, striking a delicate balance between “protecting human dignity and striking a balance between freedom of expression and preventing harm.”
The redesign is the result of consultation with over 100 organizations worldwide and feedback from creators. Here in Brazil, two institutions were highlighted by TikTok: the Brazilian Association of Eating Disorders and the Vita Alere Institute.
According to the social network of short videos, contributions helped to strengthen the rules and “respond to new threats and potential harm”. Everything will be gathered in one place so that everyone, from researchers to creators themselves, can access what they need to know.
TikTok is at the center of the world’s attention due to problems related to the misuse of the platform. From trends that cause deaths in children to the use of the service for anti-democratic acts, the Chinese social network struggles to deliver a safer tool for everyone. Now, it is necessary to know how this can impact people’s routine, especially in the delicate polarized political moment in Brazil and the world.
