TikTok Meeting with AFCN Community

The Arab Fact-Checkers Network (AFCN) led by ARIJ, held a meeting which gathered representatives from TikTok with AFCN community on August 22, 2023, this meeting organized by AFCN in order to keep the discussion open between Arab fact-checking organizations and major tech companies, in the aim of unifying efforts in combating the spread of mis/disinformation.

This meeting has brought together representatives of 14 fact-checking initiatives/organisations of AFCN community from 7 Arab countries, with the TikTok’s Outreach and Partnerships manager for the MENA and Turkey, Malak Jaafar and the integrity & Authenticity Program Manager focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the MENA and Turkey, Yovanka Paquete Perdigao, and it was moderated by AFCN manager, Saja Mortada.

During the meeting, Malak Jaafar reviewed ways to the optimal use of the platform to fight dis/misinformation and disseminate accurate content, and invited fact-checking organisations to create their own accounts on the platform where TikTok supports organisations to fight hate speech and dis/misinformation from different regions of the world, and shared ideal work from fact-checking organisations with which TikTok is collaborating.

Yovanka Perdigao outlined some of TikTok’s policies to combat hate speech and dis/misinformation on the platform and noted that TikTok’s policies are determined by local and regional cultural factors and in coordination with organizations and experts in the region concerned.

In the last part of the meeting, all attendees had the opportunity to ask their questions and some fact-checkers indicated their desire for taking training for optimal use of the platform and how they can become  a  part of TikTok combating misinformation program. This meeting is under ‘Dalil’ project, one of AFCN projects supported by the EU, in partnership with “Siren” and “Josa”, and aims to enhance fact-checking and access to accurate information in seven countries in the MENA region (Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia & Yemen).