TikTok Launch In-App ‘Election Center’ in Bangladesh
Ahead of the upcoming national election, social media platform TikTok has announced the launch of a special in-app “Election Center” in Bangladesh. The initiative was unveiled at a press conference held on Tuesday, 27 January, at a hotel in the capital, as part of a partnership with the Bangladesh Election Commission.
Speaking at the press conference, TikTok’s Head of Public Policy and Government Relations for South Asia, Ferdous Mottakin, said the Election Center hub has been designed in a way that allows users to access reliable information at any time.
However, the Election Commission has not yet made any official statement regarding the partnership. At the same time, no representative from the Commission was seen present at the event.
During the press conference, TikTok said it has already formed a dedicated “Election Taskforce” for Bangladesh. In addition, the platform is working with more than 20 fact-checking organizations worldwide to verify information and counter misinformation.
According to TikTok, through this special hub, users will be able to easily access reliable and official information related to the upcoming national election. Claiming experience of working on more than 200 elections globally since 2020, the platform said the initiative is primarily aimed at preventing misinformation and raising voter awareness.
It was stated that through the Election Center, users will receive direct links to the official website of the Election Commission. The hub will also include guidelines on how to vote correctly, simple ways to identify fake news or rumors, and special tags on election-related videos that will direct users straight to the information center.
TikTok further said that labeling AI-generated content has been made mandatory on the platform. Any misleading campaign or harassing content created using artificial intelligence involving public figures or political leaders will be strictly prohibited. The platform will also detect AI-generated content created on other platforms through its C2PA technology.
TikTok reiterated that, as an entertainment-focused platform, it has maintained a ban on political advertising from the very beginning. While election-related government agencies will be allowed to run advertisements to raise voter awareness, no political party or individual will be permitted to do so. In addition, TikTok said that any network attempting to influence public opinion through fake accounts will be permanently shut down.
