TikTok Introduces 'Footnotes': Crowdsourced Fact-Checks to Make Videos More Reliable

The US TikTok users are now beginning to see community fact-checks, known as Footnotes, appearing directly under videos.

TikTok's 'Footnotes' appear under videos, offering US users context for reliable content. Image: TikTok

In today's dynamic digital landscape, where misinformation presents a significant and pressing concern for users worldwide, the leading short-form video platform, TikTok, is rolling out a pivotal new feature: "Footnotes." This innovative tool is designed to enhance the authenticity of videos by integrating community opinions and verified context directly onto the content. Starting in the coming week, US TikTok users will begin to see these crowdsourced fact-checks appear on their feeds.

Today, TikTok officially announced the widespread availability of its community fact-check feature, aptly named Footnotes. This initiative empowers the community to provide crucial context, helping viewers discern whether a video's content is accurate or misleading. The company proudly states that nearly 80,000 users have successfully enrolled and qualified as Footnotes contributors following a pilot program launched in April 2025. US TikTok users will observe these community-driven insights for videos in the form of Footnotes, seamlessly added by these qualified contributors. As a TikTok user, you will also have the ability to rate the helpfulness of these Footnotes, ensuring they adhere to the platform's community guidelines. TikTok explains that the Footnotes system is rooted in a "bridging-based system," meaning that a broad consensus of diverse opinions will collectively form the public Footnote.

Acknowledging that this new feature represents a novel approach for a short-form video platform, TikTok anticipates an initial adjustment period. The company advises that "At first, it may take some time for a footnote to become public as contributors get started and become more familiar with the feature." This suggests that as more Footnotes are written and more topics receive attention, the system will become more robust and widely accessible to the general public. While TikTok acknowledges a potential delay between a note being written and its public visibility, they are confident that their intelligent "ranking systems" will learn and improve over time, progressively closing this gap.

Recognizing the potential for human error in crowdsourced fact-checks, TikTok has explicitly confirmed the implementation of a "combination of automated and human moderation." This dual-layered approach is designed to effectively identify and counter any Footnotes found to be in violation of community guidelines. While the concept of community notes isn't entirely new within the broader tech arena, the introduction of Footnotes on TikTok marks a significant stride in combating the pervasive misinformation often spread by users on social media platforms, particularly within the dynamic environment of TikTok. Other prominent platforms, such as X (formerly Twitter), have already successfully integrated similar "Community Notes" for some time, with others also moving towards adopting such community-driven verification tools.

This new Footnotes feature is currently rolling out to TikTok US users from next week. The company has not yet clarified whether this functionality will be made available in more countries globally. We invite you to share your thoughts on this significant new Footnotes feature on TikTok in the comments below. Have you considered enrolling as a contributor, or perhaps you've already joined this crucial initiative? Your insights are valuable!