TikTokPartnership with COMELEC, NAMFREL, AND LENTE will elevate authoritative information; new digital literacy campaign will encourage users to think critically before posting and sharing
28 January 2025 - TikTok, the world's leading short-form video platform, launched the in-app Philippine Elections Center site in collaboration with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), and the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE). This initiative aims to provide Filipinos with reliable, trustworthy information about voting, ensuring users have the resources they need to make informed decisions for the upcoming elections.
TikTok's Philippine Elections Center is a feature that directs users to verified election-related content through in-app search prompts, providing direct access to critical election resources. The in-app site houses centralized, reliable information about voting procedures, polling locations, key election dates, and other essential information for voters from COMELEC, NAMFREL, and LENTE. The feature ensures users are guided to verified sources when interacting with election-related content or conducting relevant searches.
Elections Center
To further safeguard election integrity, TikTok removes harmful misinformation about civic and electoral processes, works with fact-checking partners to assess the accuracy of content, and labels claims that cannot be verified. The platform also does not allow political ads and prohibits accounts belonging to politicians, governments, or political parties from monetizing content. Users are encouraged to report misleading information through TikTok’s in-app reporting tool, which enables swift action against content that violates the platform’s policies.
“Elections are important moments of community conversation. During these civic processes, we remain focused on keeping people safe and protecting the integrity of the TikTok platform. We do this by enforcing a set of robust policies aimed at preventing the spread of misinformation, launching an election center, prohibiting political ads, elevating authoritative information from trusted sources, and collaborating with experts who help us evaluate and improve our approach. With the help of our partners at COMELEC, NAMFREL, and LENTE, we aim to contribute to the integrity of the election process while promoting digital literacy and responsible participation online,” said Peachy Paderna, Public Policy Manager, Philippines, at TikTok.
TikTok and COMELEC formalized their partnership through an MOU signing ceremony today, reinforcing their shared goal of providing credible election information to Filipinos.
COMELEC and TikTok
COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia emphasized the importance of the partnership, stating, “Collaborating with TikTok for the Philippine Elections Center is a significant step toward ensuring that voters have access to accurate and timely information. Social media has become a primary source of information for many Filipinos, especially younger generations like Gen Z and millennials. Through this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting voter education and empowering citizens to participate in the electoral process with confidence.”
NAMFREL National Chairperson Angel S. Averia, Jr. added, "We welcome TikTok's initiative to provide a platform for reliable election information. This partnership is a valuable tool for promoting transparency and educating Filipinos on their electoral rights and responsibilities. By working together, we can combat misinformation and ensure a fair electoral process.
"As misinformation and disinformation continue to challenge elections, we are excited to build on our collaboration with TikTok, which began in 2022, and work toward deepening our partnership for the 2025 elections and beyond. We are hopeful that this continued collaboration will contribute to promoting election integrity ahead of the 2025 National, Local, and 1st BARMM Parliamentary elections through digital literacy and ensuring a space for Filipinos to have access to credible and verified information,” remarked LENTE Executive Director Atty. Ona Caritos.
This initiative is part of TikTok's ongoing collaboration with government officials, civil society organizations, and election watchdogs to ensure that TikTok’s election policies continue to evolve in response to emerging threats and challenges.
In addition to the Elections Center, TikTok is launching the #ThinkTwice Digital Literacy Campaign, which encourages users to think critically about the content they create and share. This initiative, composed of social videos, creator collaborations, and an in-app Page, further underscores TikTok’s commitment to fostering a responsible online environment where users are empowered to report misinformation and contribute to the integrity of digital discourse.
