The changes could affect how the company’s millions of U.S. users engage with political content ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s political fundraising ban will take effect in the coming weeks as part of a broader effort to curb politicians’ monetization of the platform.
Under the upcoming changes, politicians and political parties will not be able to solicit donations from TikTok users or direct them to fundraising sites, the company said.
Other updates will include blocking political accounts from using the platform’s other monetization features.
“Specifically, they will not be able to use features such as gifts, tipping and e-commerce, and will be ineligible for our Creators Fund,” Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, wrote in a blog post.
The company added that TikTok already bans political advertising in its policy, but to further enforce the rule, the platform will now completely remove all advertising tools from accounts belonging to politicians and political parties.
TikTok is becoming increasingly popular with politicians trying to appeal to their constituents, such as Rep. Tim Ryan and Senators Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey Markey).
