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TikTok puts a speed bump in the path of misleading videos

When a video is flagged as misleading, a new prompt will ask users to reconsider sharing it.

Rae Hodge Former senior editor
Rae Hodge was a senior editor at CNET. She led CNET's coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools from July 2019 to January 2023. As a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, she reviewed VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.
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TikTok announced that users who try to share flagged videos will soon be prompted to reconsider.

James Martin/CNET

In a bid to slow the spread of misinformation on its platform, TikTok announced that users who try to share flagged videos will soon be prompted to reconsider. TikTok said in a Wednesday blog post that while it partners with independent fact-checking organizations to vet certain content for removal, the new pop-up prompt will be displayed to users sharing videos for which fact-checks have been inconclusive or whose content is unconfirmed. 

The move follows TikTok's December crackdown on the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation across its platform, as it and other social media companies face increased scrutiny and calls for regulation. 

Under the new process, if a video's content has been reviewed but can't be conclusively validated, a viewer will first see a banner on a video. The video's creator will also be notified that their video has been flagged as misleading. If a viewer attempts to share the video, they'll be greeted by a pop-up, asking whether they're sure they want to share it. 

"We've designed this feature to help our users be mindful about what they share," the company said. "When we tested this approach we saw viewers decrease the rate at which they shared videos by 24%, while likes on such unsubstantiated content also decreased by 7%."

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TikTok

The new prompt process will be rolling out globally over the coming weeks, the company said, starting in Canada and the US.