Despite having all the intelligence at their disposal, human beings suffer from a pretty devastating record in regards to not making mistakes. The same has already been proven quite a few times throughout our history, with each testimony practically forcing us to look for a defensive cover. To the world’s credit, we’ll end up resolving our conundrum in the best way possible once we bring dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority across each and every area was a game-changer, as it instantly gave us a cushion against our many shortcomings, and consequentially, introduced us to a reality that we couldn’t have imagined even in our wildest dreams. However, this utopian edge will soon dissipate without a trace, and if we are being honest, it was all technology’s fault. You see, the moment technology got its layered nature to take over the landscape, it allowed people an unprecedented shot at exploiting others for their own benefit. As if the stated development wasn’t bad enough, the whole runner started to materialize on such a massive scale that it expectantly overwhelmed our governing forces and sent them back to square one. After a long spell in the middle of nowhere, though, it seems like the regulatory contingent is finally ready to reclaim its footing. Our recent progression has only made it a lot more evident, and TikTok’s latest decision does a lot to extend the stated momentum.
With November midterm elections just six weeks away, TikTok has officially decided to ban all political fundraising activity on its platform. According to certain reports, the social media giant will block candidates and parties from using features like advertising, monetization, tipping, and gifting in a political context. Furthermore, users who work in the stated capacity, such as government officials, politicians, and more, are now also required to apply for verification, therefore making it easier for the platform to segregate them. Leave the bid to raise money on platform, these candidates can’t even direct viewers to their dedicated campaign websites to make donations. Interestingly enough, though, the latest move comes as a part of TikTok’s broader election integrity initiative. For instance, just a month ago, TikTok introduced some significant measures in regards to cutting back on political misinformation. The company even banned influencers from getting paid for posting election-related content. On top of that, it also introduced a way to label videos which contained false or unconfirmed information hailing from a similar genre.
“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,” said Blake Chandlee, president of global business solutions at TikTok.
The move, while extensively focused on making the upcoming elections as fair as possible, will also help TikTok’s effort to gain redemption on a much more holistic level. From child safety to potentially harmful for mental health, the social media has lately been in the hot waters for various different reasons. Hence, if it is able to stop politicians from misusing its prowess, it could very well be a big win.