TikTok ramps up moderation ahead of Croatian presidential election

Social media giant TikTok has ramped up its moderation measures as Croatia prepares for the presidential election on Sunday, 29th December.

With eight candidates in the running, TikTok aims to ensure its platform remains a safe space for creative expression while countering misinformation and deceptive behaviours.

TikTok said on Wednesday that is has launched an in-app Election Center in Croatia, developed in consultation with the State Electoral Commission.

The Election Center provides key election details, links to official resources, and educational materials to help users identify misinformation. Prompts direct users to the center when they search for or view election-related content.

TikTok says the platform’s moderation efforts include

Fact-checking and Local Moderators: TikTok has added fact-checking resources and local moderators fluent in Croatian and regional languages to assess nuanced content.

Misinformation Countermeasures: Harmful misinformation is removed, while unverified content is labelled and limited in visibility. Accounts repeatedly violating policies are banned.

Deceptive Behaviour Monitoring: TikTok’s expanded team is actively detecting and disrupting covert influence attempts.

Additional Safeguards

TikTok prohibits paid political ads and disallows politicians or parties from monetising their accounts.

The platform also enforces robust guidelines against misleading AI-generated content and promotes transparency through tools that label AI content.

TikTok stated its commitment to maintaining platform integrity during elections and ensuring access to trusted information. By integrating learnings from other global elections, the company aims to support a safe digital space for Croatian users engaging with election content.

Presidential Candidates

The eight candidates in this year’s election are: Miro Bulj, Tomislav Jonjić, Ivana Kekin, Branka Lozo, Zoran Milanović, Dragan Primorac, Marija Selak Raspudić and Niko Tokić Kartelo.

The election will determine Croatia’s next president, with a majority voting system requiring over 50% of the vote for a candidate to win outright. If no candidate secures a majority, a runoff between the top two will follow two weeks later.

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