Overview

• TikTok's 'Footnotes' feature enables users to provide additional context to videos through a crowdsourced, consensus-driven system.
• The feature is currently being tested in the United States, with contributors required to meet eligibility criteria such as age, account history, and compliance with community guidelines.
• Footnotes will use a bridge-based ranking system to ensure only community-vetted, 'helpful' notes are visible to users.
• Unlike Meta's recent shift to community moderation, TikTok will retain its partnerships with professional fact-checkers to address more critical misinformation.
• The launch comes as TikTok faces ongoing regulatory uncertainty in the U.S., with its Chinese ownership under scrutiny and potential divestiture mandates still unresolved.