TikTok has updated its community rules to prohibit deepfakes and other uses of AI-generated "synthetic media". Similar to Twitch, which has taken a stance against ‘deepfake’ content, TikTok now considers synthetic media to be content created or modified by AI technology.
This includes highly realistic digitally-created content of real people, such as a video of a real person speaking but with modified or altered words.
Julie de Bailliencourt, TikTok's Global Head of Product Policy, announced the new changes to their community standards in a blog entry on the company's website on March 21.
One of the most significant changes to the platform is how they handle deepfake content on the platform, including making sure it's labeled in a way that makes it clear the content is produced by AI.
“Synthetic media or manipulated that shows realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed. This can be done through the use of a sticker or caption, such as ‘synthetic’, ‘fake’, ‘not real’, or ‘altered’,” it reads.
The new regulation update also enables TikTok to restrict the type of AI content that is uploaded to the platform.
Synthetic media that "contains the likeness of any real private figure" is prohibited. Furthermore, AI material that exploits the image of public personalities to promote a product will be removed from the site.
TikTok’s effort of keeping the platform safe is a significant step in the right direction.
