TikTok has announced product features that support its long-term ambition to help Nigerians and other global users obtain factual and reliable information about the Nigerian general elections as the country prepares for its elections on February 25 in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It collaborated on the project with Africa Check and the National Orientation Agency (NOA). The platform claims that these initiatives are a part of TikTok's commitment to stop election misinformation and make sure that its community disseminates election news responsibly.
Ayodele Aluko, Director of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC, commented on their contribution to the election hub, saying, "Part of INEC's commitment in the Electoral process is to involve young people who comprise a bigger part of the voting population. Some of the biggest challenges to trustworthy elections would be lessened by this partnership with TikTok to establish an election Hub where Nigerians can get reliable information. This approach, in our opinion, will help to combat false information, deception, and fake news.
Because the entertainment platform collaborates with a wide range of specialists and organisations to assist promote safety on TikTok, TikTok stated that it believes in partnership with multiple stakeholders to help increase its efforts to prevent injury and misuse on its platform.
TikTok worked closely with NGOs, the Nigerian government, media, corporate organisations, civic societies, educational institutions, and other role-players during the year 2022.
“We are continuously engaging with diverse stakeholders in Nigeria to discuss opportunities to mitigate the misuse of online platforms such as TikTok in a fast-paced digital world. Our resolve is to spread positivity in markets where we operate as we promote safety online,” said Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, TikTok Sus-Saharan Africa.
“As part of the initiative to foster a safe community during this period, TikTok is committed to providing access to trustworthy and relevant information for our community through voter education resources in-app provided by the NOA.”
Commenting on these combined efforts, Director General National Orientation Agency Dr Garba Abari said, “The exponential growth of the use of online platforms has led to tremendous business opportunities for influencers, brands and organisations. However, this growth has also led to challenges like fake news, hate speech, misinformation and disinformation etc. If these challenges are left unchecked, it poses a threat to the credibility of the elections and our national security and development. It is, therefore, imperative that all safety measures are put in place to protect users at this crucial time in our Nation’s history, which is why The National Orientation Agency is partnering with TikTok to promote a safe and factual space for each and every Nigerian online”.
In Nigeria and beyond, the TikTok community is encouraged to be a part of the campaign by reporting harmful content that appears untrue and fuels any political intolerance in any way. TikTok is a platform that encourages authentic and entertaining content that inspires creativity and brings joy. TikTok will provide notices on many election-related hashtag pages to remind people to follow the community guidelines, verify facts, and report content they believe may violate the platform’s content policies.