TikTok today shared its approach to upholding and protecting election integrity on its platform ahead of the Sri Lankan Presidential Election on 21st September 2024. The initiative underscores TikTok's commitment to being a responsible and reliable source of information, especially during critical civic events. 

TikTok has robust measures in place to combat misinformation, violence, and hate speech in line with its Community Principles. The platform is dedicated to removing misleading information about civic processes, including voter registration, candidate eligibility, ballot counting, and election results. TikTok's policies strictly prohibit content that intimidates voters, suppresses voting, or incites violence. Over 40,000 personnel, in conjunction with advanced technology, are deployed globally to enforce these rules, complemented by collaborations with intelligence firms, industry partners, and civil society organizations. 

To help counter misinformation, TikTok works with local and regional fact-checkers to help the platform consistently and accurately remove election misinformation. Content under review or identified as unsubstantiated is restricted from the For You Feed recommendation, and both viewers and creators are alerted about the potential misleading nature of such content. 

A significant element of TikTok's strategy is the imminent launch of the Sri Lanka Election Center. This hub, available in English, Sinhala and Tamil, will direct users to authoritative information on election. Enhanced by advanced technology and local language support, the platform is poised to ensure a safe environment free from violations of its Community Guidelines. In order to maintain an authentic user experience, TikTok also reiterates its policy against political ads. This includes restrictions on paid political promotion, political advertising, and political fundraising. Accounts linked to governments, politicians, or political parties have limited functionalities on the platform to ensure adherence to this policy. 

TikTok's efforts to safeguard the integrity of its platform reflect its mission of inspiring creativity and joy among its users. Recognizing that global events often influence creative expression, TikTok remains dedicated to supporting its community in Sri Lanka and worldwide.