Overview

• Footnotes went live on July 30, 2025, opening the crowd-sourced fact-checking pilot to all U.S. users.
• Nearly 80,000 vetted contributors who meet age, tenure and standards requirements can write and rate contextual notes on videos.
• The bridging algorithm elevates notes endorsed as helpful by users with diverse viewpoints and guards against coordinated voting.
• Once a footnote reaches the consensus threshold among contributors, it becomes visible to the broader U.S. community for further ratings.
• TikTok stresses that Footnotes augments its existing Global Fact-Checking Program, which partners with over 20 IFCN-accredited organizations.