TikTok pledges to help EC curb misinformation

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 5: In a bid to curb harmful and misleading content on social media that could directly or indirectly affect the elections, the Election Commission (EC) and TikTok signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday.

The MoU was exchanged between Joint-Secretary of the EC, Narayan Prasad Bhattarai and Ferdous Mottakin, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, South Asia at TikTok, during a programme held at the EC Office. 

TikTok has committed to assisting the Commission free of charge, under three main electoral objectives--Integrity, Empowerment, and Partnership, the EC said. 

According to the EC, this partnership is expected to help control misleading information, facilitate the dissemination and promotion of official messages and information, ensure only reliable facts are made available to users and contribute to the creation of a safe space for voters.

As per the MoU, TikTok will assist in promoting the integrity of the upcoming House of Representatives elections and enhancing the EC's capacity.

During the event, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that the misuse of technology through digital platforms could potentially affect the entire electoral environment. 

Speaking briefly after the signing of the agreement, Bhandari thanked TikTok for its cooperation. 

He added that TikTok’s collaboration would be effective in conducting elections in a clean, fair, and fear-free environment, as well as in controlling misinformation. 

The Commission believes that the partnership will help provide reliable and trustworthy election-related information to the public. 

Joint-Secretary Bhattarai said that the Commission is confident that this collaboration would promote not only the integrity of the election process but would also contribute to strengthening the democratic system and aid in ongoing efforts to curb misleading information and harmful content that could influence the election process.

“Elections are a critical moment for any democracy and TikTok recognises its responsibility as a platform that helps shape public discourse. Through this partnership, we aim to support informed participation, promote election integrity, and provide a safe space for positive digital expression,” said Mottakin. 

Issuing a statement, TikTok assured that it would continue to collaborate with the EC and relevant stakeholders to bolster election integrity and safeguard a reliable information environment for its Nepali community.

As a global platform, ensuring election integrity is essential to upholding user trust, reducing the risk of misinformation, and supporting healthy civic participation, the statement reads. 

As a part of the partnership, a TikTok delegation also conducted a capacity-building Election Integrity Workshop, focusing on promoting responsible digital engagement, combating misinformation, and strengthening understanding of election integrity among key stakeholders.

How TikTok works 

The platform will prohibit paid political advertising and bar government bodies, politicians, and political parties from fundraising or using monetisation features.

It also removes harmful election misinformation, claiming that 98.5 per cent of such content is taken down before being reported.

TikTok says it actively tackles deceptive practices such as impersonation, fake engagement and covert influence operations. 

Users are provided with verified election information through an in-app Election Centre, content labels on election-related posts, including AI-generated material, and verified political accounts.

More than 20 fact-checking partners review the accuracy of content, while creators are required to label realistic AI-generated content. 

Harmful misleading AI content, hate speech, violent threats, and content promoting violence or criminal activities are strictly prohibited.

According to TikTok, it is working in Nepal through a dedicated election task force supported by advanced moderation technology and global safety teams to ensure a safe online environment during elections.