TikTok Approved Disinformation Ads: Global Witness Investigation

An investigation by Global Witness revealed that TikTok approved ads containing false claims about the upcoming General Election. Of 28 ads submitted, 14 in English and 14 in Irish, TikTok approved 3 English and 8 Irish ads before Global Witness withdrew them.

The ads included false and misleading information stating individuals would require two Covid vaccinations to vote, as well as being able to vote by post after polls close, and casting votes on Facebook. Global Witness highlighted TikTok’s lack of dedicated Irish language moderators, describing it as a critical blind spot.

TikTok confirmed all submitted ads violated its policies and noted most were rejected during initial moderation. However, the company launched an internal review to identify why some ads passed early stages. TikTok emphasized none of the ads went live and reaffirmed its ban on political advertising, as well as efforts to provide reliable election information through an in-app election centre.

The media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, reported six election-related concerns from political parties or candidates, including issues with digital platforms but declined to comment on specific complaints.

Separately, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) stated there is no evidence of cyberattacks on election systems but assessed a medium risk of potential incidents. The NCSC remains on high alert to safeguard election integrity.

source: RTE, 2024