Ahead of Israeli elections: TikTok delivers a heavy blow to politicians

TikTok tightens its oversight of political content ahead of the Israeli elections: a ban on paid political advertising, mandatory labeling of realistic AI-generated content, and removal of misleading videos even if labeled. Content that cannot be verified may be excluded from recommendations and displayed with a warning.

TikTok is tightening its policy on political content ahead of the Israeli elections. The new rules include an outright ban on paid political advertising – parties, politicians, and government bodies will not be able to use the platform's advertising and monetization tools, and paying content creators for political promotion is also prohibited. An exception will be made only for official bodies responsible for managing the elections, which will be allowed to publish essential public information such as voting procedures. Additionally, TikTok requires labeling of realistic content created or altered using artificial intelligence. However, labeling does not grant immunity: harmful AI content, including videos falsely depicting a public figure expressing political support, is prohibited even if labeled. During the election period, content that cannot be immediately verified may be labeled, not recommended on the 'For You' feed, or appear with a warning message before sharing. TikTok notes that it works with more than 20 fact-checking organizations worldwide, including Reuters news agency, to verify content credibility and enforce the policy.