TikTok is making it harder for politicians to campaign and fundraise on its platform with a new set of rules.
The company already had strict rules about the issue but Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, says they want to build on them to ensure TikTok remains a “fun” experience.
The changes automatically turn off advertising features of accounts associated with politicians and their parties. TikTok’s policy already banned political advertising, including paid ads and branded content.
Politically associated accounts will be blocked from other monetization features, including gifting, tipping, and e-commerce. Accounts won’t be eligible for the Creator Fund, a program that pays creators for their content.
The platform is also banning videos soliciting donations “in the coming weeks.”
The company is aiming specifically at the U.S. midterm elections that will take place in November by testing a mandatory verification badge for accounts tied to the government, politicians, or political parties. The move will inform users that accounts are authentic, “which is a way to build trust between high-profile creators and their community,” Chandlee said.
“By prohibiting campaign fundraising and limiting access to our monetization features and verifying accounts, we’re aiming to strike a balance between enabling people to discuss the issues that are relevant to their lives while also protecting the creative, entertaining platform that our community wants,” Chandlee concludes in a blog post.
Source: TikTok
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