TikTok Talks: EC Teams Up to Tackle Tech-Driven Disinformation
In preparation for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election, the Election Commission (EC) has held a meeting with representatives from TikTok to discuss measures for preventing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven disinformation and propaganda on social media.
The meeting took place on Wednesday, October 29, at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, where Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A.M.M. Nasir Uddin met with the TikTok delegation. The team included Ferdous Muttakim, TikTok’s Head of Public Policy and Government Relations for South Asia; Adil Shah, Global Legal Business Partner; and Abu Nayeem, TikTok’s Country Head for Bangladesh.
According to meeting sources, the discussion primarily centered on how TikTok could assist the Commission in combating disinformation, including that generated through artificial intelligence. However, neither party made any formal statement following the meeting.
The Election Commission had previously sought the cooperation of platforms such as TikTok and Facebook ahead of the 12th National Parliamentary Election as well. On August 22, 2023, during the Awami League government’s tenure, TikTok’s then Head of Public Policy for Bangladesh, Ferdous Muttakim, met with a committee led by Md. Mahbubar Rahman Sarkar, Joint Secretary of the EC’s Law Division. At that time, TikTok pledged to help curb election-related propaganda, particularly content spreading hatred and communal tension.
