TikTok has launched a new pilot feature called “Footnotes” aimed at improving how users engage with and understand content on the platform. This new feature, currently being tested in the United States, allows users to add relevant context to videos, helping others make better sense of the material they encounter while scrolling.
Announced in a press release by Adam Presser, TikTok’s Head of Operations and Trust and Safety, the feature draws from what the company describes as the “collective knowledge of the TikTok community by allowing people to add relevant information to content on our platform.” “Today we’re announcing the test of Footnotes, a new feature that will give our community more context about content on TikTok,” said Presser.
According to the release, the initial testing of Footnotes will focus on short-form videos in the U.S., with a long-term goal of improving how people access and interpret information shared on the app.
“It will add to our suite of measures that help people understand the reliability of content and access authoritative sources, including our content labels, search banners, our fact-checking program, and more,” Presser added.
The platform, which has more than 170 million users in the United States, is using this feature to address cases where videos share complex information such as STEM content, misused statistics, or evolving news events.
“Whether the content discusses a complex STEM-related concept, shares statistics that could misrepresent a topic, or updates about an ongoing event, there may be additional context that could help others better understand it. That’s why we’re building Footnotes,” Presser said.
The concept introduces a consensus-driven mechanism similar to other platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where users help surface accurate and contextual information. While TikTok already allows people to engage with content through features like comments, Stitch, and Duet, Footnotes will provide another tool, this time for those with specific expertise or insights, to add value to ongoing conversations.
As of Wednesday, U.S. users can apply to be Footnotes contributors. Eligible users must be at least 18 years old, have had an account for more than six months, and maintain a clean record with no recent community guidelines violations. Presser noted, “We’ll also notify U.S. users who meet our eligibility requirements. Once admitted, contributors can add footnotes to videos and rate those left by others.“
To maintain the credibility and usefulness of the feature, TikTok is deploying a “bridge-based ranking system” designed to encourage input from users with differing perspectives.
“It works by allowing contributors with differing opinions to leave and vote on the helpfulness of a footnote. Only footnotes that meet the threshold for ‘helpful’ will be visible to the community,” Presser explained.
Once visible, the wider TikTok community will also be able to vote on the footnotes, making the process even more democratic.
Footnotes builds on a global trust strategy
TikTok’s latest tool does not exist in isolation. It is part of a broader effort by the platform to combat misinformation and improve content reliability amid growing regulatory scrutiny, particularly in the United States. TikTok already adds labels to content that cannot be independently verified and provides access to accurate information through its Election Centres and Search functions.
Furthermore, the platform partners with more than 20 IFCN-accredited fact-checking organisations, working in over 60 languages and across 130 markets globally. “Footnotes adds to these efforts with more ways to add helpful details that may be missing, ultimately enriching discussions on TikTok and improving the experience for viewers, contributors and creators alike,” said Presser.
The timing of this feature rollout also coincides with ongoing political uncertainty for TikTok in the U.S. After the passage of a 2024 law requiring parent company ByteDance to divest its ownership or face a ban, the future of the app remains under close scrutiny. Yet, as debates continue, TikTok’s investment in user-generated moderation tools signals its intent to remain a fixture in the American digital landscape.
As Footnotes continues testing, TikTok hopes to fine-tune the feature based on feedback from users and expand it further. “We’re excited to work with each group as we continue to test, get feedback, and build on the program,” Presser said, underlining the platform’s commitment to collaborative innovation.
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