Today, Siada El Ramly, EDiMA Director General, and spokesperson for the signatories of the Code of Practice on Disinformation, announced that TikTok had formally signed up to the Code to address the spread of online disinformation and fake news.
At a conference hosted by the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services, El Ramly informed participants that the European Commission had been formally notified of TikTok’s signature this morning and had received the company’s full list of commitments under the Code of Practice on Disinformation.
Speaking at the panel, El Ramly said:
“TikTok signing up to the Code of Practice on Disinformation is great news as it widens the breadth of online platforms stepping up the fight against disinformation online. It shows that the Code of Practice on Disinformation is an effective means to ensure that companies do more to effectively fight disinformation online.”
“Today’s announcement shows once again that internet companies take their responsibility seriously and are ready to play their part.”
Theo Bertram, Director, Government Relations & Public Policy, Europe (TikTok) said:
“TikTok is a platform for positive, creative expression, and it has been humbling to see so many people enjoy the creativity of the TikTok community. Our dedicated teams do incredible work to protect against misuse and keep TikTok safe. To prevent the spread of disinformation online, industry co-operation and transparency are vital, and we’re proud to sign up to the Code of Practice on Disinformation to play our part.”
A report released in May by the European Commission highlighted the positive impact that the Code of Practice on Disinformation has had saying that “it is highly relevant and it has produced positive results”. The same study suggested that the Commission should evaluate what more could be done to attract further players among the Code’s target groups to sign up in order to strengthen its effectiveness. TikTok’s signature today represents a significant milestone in achieving this.
ENDS
Press contacts
Ronan Breen
Account Director
Red Flag
+32471753053
ronan.breen@thisisredflag.com
Paul Wyatt
EU Communications
TikTok
+447107365135
paul.wyatt@tiktok.com
Notes to the editors
- EDiMA is the voice of the leading internet companies and the most popular internet products in Europe. EDiMA stands for an internet which enables companies to grow and allows customers to make the most of the opportunities it offers. More information is available here: https://doteurope.eu/
- In 2018, representatives of online platforms, leading social networks, advertisers and advertising industry agreed on a self-regulatory Code of Practice to address the spread of online disinformation, the first of its kind worldwide. More information is available here: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/code-practice-disinformation
- Siada El Ramly, as the spokesperson of the Code of Practice’s Working Group of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Disinformation, represents the internet company signatories of the Code of Practice including Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Twitter and now TikTok too.
- In May 2020, the European Commission released a study assessing the policies and tools adopted by the online platforms to implement the commitments made in the Code of Practice against Disinformation in its first year. The study concludes that the Code was successful in establishing a common framework to fight disinformation and should not be abandoned. More information is available here: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/study-assessment-implementation-code-practice-disinformation
