Shortform video platform TikTok has warned that it will ban all accounts found linked to political groups to maintain a safe community ahead of Thailand’s general election.
The Nation reports that TikTok is working with experts to exchange ideas on developing and updating its policies in relation to the elections.
The platform hopes to ensure users are provided with accurate information in regard to the election, saying it plans to launch an “election center” one month before political campaigns kick off.
The center will assist users in obtaining reliable information about voting processes and candidates.
TikTok’s Chief of Public Policy, Chanida Klyphun, told Thai media on Tuesday that TikTok is primarily an entertainment platform, and that tools and measures have been put in place to protect TikTok users from a toxic atmosphere, hate speech and biases sparked by political conflicts.
“TikTok does not accept paid political ads or paid branded content. Politicians will be barred from engaging in any form of monetization, while accounts taking any political angle will be added to the government, politician, and political party account [GPPPA] category,” she was quoted as saying.
TikTok accounts in the GPPPA category are subject to a number of policies designed to prevent misuse.
Chanida said these measures have been added to TikTok’s community guidelines.
“After the elections in Malaysia and the Philippines, we learned that the public was not aware of these tools and measures. So, we hope to raise more public awareness ahead of the Thai elections. We are constantly looking into how we can improve our practices and processes to maintain the platform’s safety and integrity,” said Chanida.
TikTok has been ramping up efforts to promote digital literacy in Southeast Asia, sending representatives to Laos in January to train civil servants on its community guidelines.
During the visit, the company signed an MOU with Laos’ Ministry of Technology and Communications aimed at ensuring online safety and appropriate content creation in relation to the usage of the TikTok platform in Laos.
