Writer: Lana Gharia
Editor: Rachel Kuolt
TikTok’s Political Advertising Ban: Progress or Performance? Social media platforms wield significant power in shaping political discourse, particularly during elections. TikTok has sought to manage this responsibility by banning political advertising beginning in 2019. However, investigative reports and independent tests have revealed critical gaps in enforcement, raising questions about whether TikTok’s policies are effective or simply symbolic.
According to an NBC News article, TikTok states it does “not allow ads featuring political content across any of its monetization features, including paid ads, creators being paid to make branded political content, and other promotional tools on the platform” (Feng, 2024). While this policy sounds comprehensive, loopholes remain.
A key test by Global Witness and Cybersecurity for Democracy before the 2022 U.S. midterm elections highlighted these enforcement issues. Researchers submitted election disinformation ads to multiple platforms, including TikTok, to see if the platforms would approve them. TikTok approved 90 percent of election disinformation ads during the test. These ads, while never actually shown to users, could have significantly impacted voters' opinions (Oremus, 2024).
Further testing by Global Witness researchers in 2023 revealed similar issues. Researchers submitted eight lightly masked ads to TikTok to mimic how bad actors might avoid detection using algospeak, where numbers and symbols substitute for letters. TikTok rejected only four of the ads, those mentioning candidates by name, while approving others that aimed to suppress voter participation (Oremus, 2024). These findings suggest that while TikTok’s systems may detect undisguised political content, they struggle with subtler forms of manipulation, allowing harmful disinformation to spread.
TikTok has taken steps to address these vulnerabilities, including introducing mandatory verification for political accounts in the United States and prohibiting political fundraising on its platform. According to a CNN article, these measures are designed to ensure greater transparency and prevent misuse of the platform during pivotal moments like elections (Fung, 2022). However, critics argue that TikTok’s inconsistent enforcement undermines the effectiveness of these policies. Without significant oversight and a commitment to addressing its algorithmic weaknesses, TikTok risks becoming a significant target for election manipulation.
Ultimately, TikTok’s decision to ban political advertising and fundraising is a step in the right direction, but actions speak louder than words. For TikTok to build trust among its users, it must demonstrate that its policies are more than just good optics—they must be backed by enforceable actions.
References
Feng, V. (2024). “Banned political ads found on TikTok weeks ahead of 2024 elections.” NBC
News.
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Fung, B. (2022). “TikTok to require verification of political accounts and ban political fundraising.” CNN Business.
Oremus, W. (2024). “TikTok fails a test of its ban on political ads.” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/17/tiktok-political-ads-ban-report-glob al-witness/
Image Source: Reuters
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