TikTok teams up with WHO to tackle medical misinformation

TikTok platform collaborating with the WHO’s Fides group to strengthen its medical fact-checking process

TikTok has announced a new partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) in an effort to tackle the spread of health misinformation on its platform. The initiative will see TikTok working with the WHO’s Fides group to enhance its medical fact-checking process, expanding its capacity to ensure more accurate health information reaches users.

The Fides group, a network of over 800 healthcare professionals active on social media, aims to combat misinformation by providing factual explanations and insights on key health topics. The group already engages millions of users across various platforms, and with TikTok’s support, their reach is set to expand further.

TikTok stated, “Through this partnership, Fides network creators in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil will be joining TikTok to create and promote evidence-based content. We are also making a $3M donation to support WHO’s global work in destigmatising mental health conditions and creating an informed, empathetic, and supportive online community.”

The Fides creators will be tasked with sharing explainers on health and scientific research, offering expert insight into trending health topics. This approach is seen as a potential counter to harmful misinformation, which has surged on social media platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, a 2023 survey of U.S. adults revealed a growing scepticism towards vaccines, with Americans becoming less likely to view approved vaccines as safe compared to two years prior. TikTok itself has also faced challenges with misleading health trends.

As reported by *BU Today*, “An analysis of Instagram and TikTok posts from 2022 to 2023 by the *Washington Post* and the nonprofit news site *The Examination* found that the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries paid dozens of registered dietitian influencers to post content promoting diet soda, sugar, and supplements, reaching millions of viewers. The dietitians’ relationships with the food industry were not always made clear to viewers.”

These are the types of issues that Fides experts will be addressing, offering unbiased and expert advice to help inform younger audiences about health trends and prevent misinformation from spreading across the platform.