TikTok is introducing a new feature that allows college students to find and connect with others on their campus, a move reminiscent of Facebook’s early days. This feature, called Campus Verification, lets users add their college to their TikTok profile and browse a list of students at their school.
To access the feature, users must navigate to their profile and tap the “Add school” button. They then need to enter their school name and select their graduation year. To verify they actually attend the school, users must provide their academic email address. Once complete, their college name and graduation year will be displayed on their profile.
Users can then browse their school’s page, filter by graduation year, and view all users who have added the school to their profile. They can also sort the user list to show the most-followed accounts first.
The feature is available across more than 6,000 universities through TikTok’s partnership with UNiDAYS, a student verification platform that confirms student status. TikTok states the idea is to turn its platform into a hub for real-world connections and belonging on campus, which mirrors Facebook’s original mission when it launched for Harvard students in 2004.
TikTok’s new feature could be a welcome addition for college students looking to connect with others. However, it also raises digital privacy concerns, as it could make it easier for users to track others online. The feature is optional, so those who prefer to keep their TikTok presence separate from their student life can choose not to add their school.
It is worth noting that Instagram was spotted testing a similar feature last year that would allow users to display their school information and connect with other students. It is unknown if that feature was scrapped or if Meta still plans to roll it out.