Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, on Monday rolled out a new verification mechanism to combat fake and counterfeit videos and other unethical behavior. The initiative is part of Douyin’s ongoing efforts to maintain a healthy online community.
A statement from Douyin, one of China’s most popular short-video apps, said the platform would immediately begin verifying content sourced from high-profile events and suspected fabrication.
Some high-profile events may have people speaking publicly on the Douyin platform. To ensure the authenticity of these individuals’ identities and the content they publish, and to prevent the spread of staged or fake content, impersonations, fabricated videos, or rumors, the platform has put in place restrictions on what “high-profile event people” can say.
When a high-profile event occurs, the platform will authenticate accounts sharing content on behalf of those involved or their contacts. Users who receive a prompt from the system have five hours to verify their identity. If they don’t verify their identity within 24 hours, they will be banned from posting until they can provide credible evidence.
The platform will extend authentication times for users who are experiencing inconveniences, such as the elderly or sick.
Meanwhile, creatively produced videos will also be validated on the platform.
Content creators who create and share fictional content must prominently indicate that their video is dramatized, which must be clearly stated in the video or its caption, such as “Fictional dramatization for entertainment purposes only.”
For content that is suspected of being dramatized but not properly labeled, the platform will remind the content publisher to comply with the guidelines and add accurate disclaimers. If the content is still not labeled after the reminder, the platform may take action, such as removing the content, penalizing the account, or enforcing the label, until the publisher provides credible evidence.
If the high-profile content is suspected to be fabricated, the platform will request relevant local departments for verification or cooperate with local media organizations to conduct an investigation. If fabrication is confirmed, the platform will take strict measures against the account.
The platform reiterated that accounts that mislead the public or media by not labelling their content will be subject to penalties ranging from a complete 30-day ban to an indefinite ban, depending on the severity of the situation.
Recently, Chinese social media has seen a rise in cases of internet influencers fabricating hot topics to attract traffic. In April, a Chinese internet influencer was administratively disciplined for fabricating an incident in which a Chinese elementary school student forgot his winter vacation homework while traveling in Paris, France, during a February trip in order to attract viewers on his social platform.
The Douyin platform also announced two cases where content publishers fabricated videos but did not mark them, including one user who claimed she had been repeatedly bullied and oppressed by her mother-in-law, which forced her to divorce and caused her to develop depression. The platform decided to indefinitely ban the user’s account.
The platform welcomes netizens to help monitor content and encourages them to report suspicious content to the platform for further verification.
Douyin said the platform encourages creators to showcase the true and beautiful side of life, but when it comes to violations such as fame-seeking behavior lacking moral integrity, the platform remains committed to addressing these issues through various means.
