TikTok, IEC unveil Election Centre to tackle misinformation

With the country’s sixth local government elections less than a month away, TikTok has unveiled measures to protect election integrity and help users access reliable information.

Central to the initiative is the launch of an in-app Election Centre, developed in partnership with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Election centre

The feature, unveiled during a virtual briefing on Wednesday evening, is designed to provide users with trusted information about key election dates, voting procedures and the electoral process, while also helping users identify misinformation and misleading content.

The Election Centre includes an AI media literacy hub that offers guidance on recognising AI-generated content, using artificial intelligence responsibly and understanding how TikTok manages AI-generated content on the platform.

TikTok has also introduced election-related labels and search banners that direct users to the Election Centre with a single tap.

Public informed

According to Tholoana Ncheke-Mahlaela, TikTok’s Government Relations and Public Policy Lead for Southern Africa, the initiative is part of the platform’s broader effort to support informed public participation.

“Through our in-app Election Centre, South Africans will be able to access reliable information about the elections, and to further support this, we have introduced election-related labels and search banners that direct users to the centre with a single tap.

“This reflects our continued commitment to supporting a safe, informed, and authentic election experience for our community,” Ncheke-Mahlaela said.

IEC

The IEC welcomed the partnership. Sy Mamabolo, chief electoral officer of the Electoral Commission of South Africa, said accessible and trustworthy election information is increasingly important as more voters engage with digital platforms.

“The Electoral Commission welcomes this partnership with TikTok as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that voters have access to accurate, timely, and credible election information. As more South Africans engage with information through digital platforms, it is essential that trusted resources are easily accessible and that misinformation is actively addressed.”

“The Election Centre on TikTok will help connect voters with official information about the electoral process, supporting informed participation and strengthening public confidence in the integrity of the elections,” Mamabolo said,

Misinformation

TikTok said it has activated a dedicated elections task force made up of specialists in platform integrity, cybersecurity, misinformation, deceptive behaviour and election integrity.

This, it said, prohibits content that could mislead voters, interfere with electoral processes, discourage voting or encourage unlawful disruption of election outcomes.

To enforce its policies, TikTok combines moderation technologies with local-language moderators and global safety teams to identify and remove harmful content.

The platform also released figures highlighting its moderation efforts in South Africa.

Some of the latest South Africa-specific figures include:

• More than 1.1 million videos were removed in Q1 2026 for violating TikTok’s Community Guidelines, with 99.6% proactively removed before being reported.
• Approximately 90 000 videos were removed between January and March for violations relating to civic and election integrity, misinformation and harmful AI-generated content.
• More than 99% of this election-related content was removed proactively, before it was reported.

The company said it works with more than 20 fact-checking organisations globally, including Code for Africa in South Africa, to help verify content and support policy enforcement.

Political Advertising

TikTok reiterated that it does not allow paid political advertising on the platform and prohibits politicians and political parties from advertising or monetising their accounts.

However, official election management bodies may run adverts containing essential voter information, including voter registration guidance, polling details and participation information.

Commitment

As election campaigning intensifies ahead of the 4 November vote, TikTok said it will continue investing in measures designed to combat misinformation, promote credible information and protect the integrity of election-related discussions on the platform.

The company said its goal is to ensure South African users can participate in election conversations while accessing trusted information and engaging in a safe, authentic online environment.