TikTok Announces Updated Community Guidelines, Including New Rules Around AI-Generated Content

With a possible US ban looming, TikTok has at the moment announced that it’s up to date its Community Guidelines, which now contains new provisos regarding artificial media, hate speech, and election integrity efforts.

The updates appear to raised align with what US officers might want, with reference to its moderation strategy, whereas TikTok additionally notes that its Community Ideas are additionally primarily based on its ‘commitment to uphold human rights, and align with international legal frameworks’.

That looks as if a reasonably pointed strategy to distance itself from probably totally different approaches on such in mainland China.

As per TikTok:

“To inform the most comprehensive updates to our Community Guidelines to date, we consulted more than 100 organizations around the world, including our US Content Advisory Council, and members of our community. Their input helped us strengthen our rules and respond to new threats and potential harms.”

The principle adjustments to TikTok’s coverage are within the synthetic media section, which now clearly states that AI creations depicting lifelike scenes have to be labeled as such.

“We welcome the creativity that new artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital technologies may unlock. However, AI can make it more difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction, carrying both societal and individual risks. Synthetic media or manipulated that shows realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed. This can be done through the use of a sticker or caption, such as ‘synthetic’, ‘fake’, ‘not real’, or ‘altered’.”

TikTok’s artificial media coverage additionally states that AI depictions of personal residents should not allowed, whereas depictions of public figures are allowed, as long as they don’t seem to be used to endorse merchandise or in any other case violate the platform’s insurance policies.

With using generative AI instruments on the rise, TikTok’s trying to get on the entrance foot, whereas additionally offering clear pointers that defend politicians from misrepresentation by way of this kind.

TikTok has additionally added ‘tribe’ as a protected attribute in its hate speech and hateful habits coverage, offering extra culturally delicate consideration, whereas it’s additionally added new, particular guidelines for shielding authorities and political celebration accounts, and combating election misinformation.

There’s clearly a tilt in direction of benefiting and defending politicians right here – the folks that may finally be voting on a TikTok ban – whereas the updates, total, align with rising utilization behaviors and traits, offering extra methods for TikTok to crack down on misuse.

Along with this, TikTok says that it’s additionally overhauled the way it presents its guidelines, with sections now separated thematically into totally different matter areas.

TikTok has additionally shared the 4 pillars of its moderation strategy:

1. Take away violative content material
2. Age-restrict mature content material so it is just seen by adults (18 years or older)
3. Make content material ineligible for suggestion within the For You feed that is not applicable for a broad viewers
4. Empower our group with info instruments and sources to remain answerable for their expertise

The updates are clearly an effort to raised ingratiate TikTok with US regulators, by aligning with the important thing ache factors which were recognized as issues by US officers. The updates additionally additional separate TikTok from the principles utilized within the Chinese language model of the app, Douyin, which, ideally, will assist to indicate that TikTok is a separate entity, and isn’t dictated by Chinese language administration.

And total, the brand new Community Guidelines are simpler to know – so whereas it does really feel like a ploy to enchantment to US officers, it’s a great replace both method, which ought to assist customers higher perceive the platform’s guidelines.

TikTok’s new Community Guidelines will take impact from the twenty first April, 2023. You possibly can take a look at the total, up to date Community Guidelines doc here.