TikTok announced the public launch of Footnotes, a crowdsourced fact-checking system similar to X and Meta’s Community Notes feature. The feature will initially roll out to U.S. users as a pilot program, allowing contributors to write and rate Footnotes on TikTok videos. All U.S. users can view notes rated as helpful and submit their own ratings in return.
The company first revealed plans to test Footnotes in April, describing it as a way to provide more context around TikTok’s content. Like X’s Community Notes, TikTok uses a bridging algorithm that seeks consensus among users with differing views. If both sides rate a note as helpful, it is more likely to be accurate. This approach also prevents brigading, where groups attempt to sway decisions by coordinated voting.
TikTok states that Footnotes help users better understand content by adding information and context. Some videos may intentionally misrepresent situations, while others may lack relevant updates or details.
In April, TikTok began allowing U.S. users to apply as contributors if they were at least 18, had been on the platform for over six months, and had no recent violations of TikTok’s Community Standards. Since then, nearly 80,000 U.S. users have qualified as Footnotes contributors.
Community Notes-style features are not new. Twitter pioneered the concept in 2020 with Birdwatch, which officially launched in 2021 and expanded globally in 2022. Now called Community Notes under Elon Musk’s ownership, the feature has evolved to include AI-generated notes and new ways to highlight popular content.
X’s open-sourced Community Notes concept has inspired similar systems at other social media companies, particularly those seeking to address conservative concerns about bias in traditional fact-checking. Meta dropped fact-checking earlier this year in favor of its own Community Notes system in the U.S., raising concerns about misinformation. YouTube is also testing a similar feature called Notes, launched last year.
TikTok clarifies that Footnotes will expand, not replace, its existing Global Fact-Checking Program. The company continues to collaborate with over 20 IFCN-accredited fact-checking organizations across 60 languages and 130 markets worldwide.