TikTok's South Asia head Mottakin pledged to create an environment for safe digital expression during the election.
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The Election Commission and video sharing platform TikTok have signed an agreement to prevent the spread of false and misleading information during the upcoming House of Representatives elections and to inform voters about such content. According to the agreement, election-related message videos will now automatically appear as soon as the TikTok app is opened.
At a program organized at the Commission on Wednesday, Firdos Mottakin, Head of South Asia, TikTok, and Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Spokesperson of the Commission, exchanged a letter of understanding on behalf of TikTok. The Commission's TikTok videos urge users to think twice and not rush before sharing any news or content. These videos have been arranged so that users can see them as soon as they open TikTok.
Bhattarai, Spokesperson of the Commission, said that this will help spread awareness against misleading information. TikTok's South Asia Head Mottakin pledged to create an environment for safe digital expression during the election. According to Mottakin, coordination has been made with the Commission to make election-related content on TikTok credible and transparent.
Under this collaboration, joint efforts will be made to disseminate official information related to elections, promote voter education content, and identify and control false and misleading information. ‘TikTok is taking various measures to prevent the spread of misinformation during the election,’ he said, ‘We have collaborated with fact-checking partners who understand Nepali and local languages, and have strictly implemented TikTok’s community guidelines. The process of monitoring suspicious content and removing it if necessary has been made effective.’
According to Mottakin, special vigilance has been taken regarding political advertisements and sensitive content, and arrangements have also been made to encourage users to seek information from official sources. TikTok will work as a responsible digital platform while respecting the democratic process, he mentioned. At the
program, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that the commission has initiated formal collaboration with TikTok as false and misleading information that can be spread through social media can affect the fairness and credibility of the election. Through this understanding, priority will be given to the flow of official information related to the election and the platform’s support will be sought in controlling misinformation.
‘Working together with a medium like TikTok, which has a large reach among the younger generation, can deliver accurate election-related information quickly and widely,’ he said. ‘The Commission is committed to making the election process safe and credible by maintaining a balance between democratic values, freedom of expression, and the responsible use of technology.’
