TikTok approved election misinformation ads despite its own ban, says watchdog

A recent report by Global Witness, a nonprofit technology and environmental watchdog group, reveals that TikTok approved advertisements containing election disinformation despite its ban on political ads. The group submitted eight ads with falsehoods about the election to test the content moderation systems of social media companies. TikTok approved four of these ads, which were later pulled by Global Witness before they went online. Facebook, on the other hand, approved only one of the submitted ads, while YouTube did the best, approving four ads but not letting any publish due to a request for more identification. The ads included false claims about the election, voter suppression, and encouraged violence or threatened electoral workers. The report highlights improvements in content moderation systems since 2019, especially by Facebook. However, it emphasizes the need for ongoing evaluation and improvement in enforcement efforts.