KUALA LUMPUR – TikTok has announced a partnership with the Election Commission (EC) ahead of the 17th Sabah state election.
The video-sharing platform said under the collaboration, both organisations will work to protect users from misinformation and provide reliable, verified information about the voting process, including an in-app search guide offering official resources on the state election.
In addition, TikTok will work closely with the EC and fact-checkers to make authoritative information on voting and the election easily accessible to users.
“Advanced moderation technologies and thousands of safety professionals will help connect users with authoritative information while removing harmful content from the platform,” Bernama quoted TikTok as saying in a statement.
By clicking on the in-app search guide, users will be directed to a detailed page that reminds them of TikTok’s community guidelines and provides a link to the EC’s official website for verified election information, it said.
As part of the efforts, TikTok is also partnering up with government agencies, civil society organisations, and election watchdogs, including Bersih.
Committed to strengthening the election process
The platform’s country head of Public Policy Firdaus Fadzil said that through partnership with the EC, TikTok is committed to supporting and strengthening the integrity of the election process, and keeping its users safe.
“We do this by enforcing robust policies to prevent the spread of misinformation, enabling our in-app search guide, prohibiting political advertisements, elevating authoritative information from trusted sources, and collaborating with experts who help us evaluate and improve our approach,” he said in the same statement.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun, meanwhile, stressed that the commission remains committed to ensuring that Malaysians receive accurate, efficient, and transparent information throughout the voting process.
“The EC strives to ensure that there are no elements that could create negative perceptions, doubts or mistrust on social media platforms. Collaborating with TikTok is a key step toward ensuring voters have access to authentic and timely information,” he said.
In Malaysia, between the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 and the end of the second quarter (Q2) of this year, TikTok removed more than 450,000 videos under its Integrity and Authenticity policies, including those related to misinformation, fake engagement, and civic and election integrity, with over 99 per cent of them removed proactively.
Additionally, TikTok prohibits political advertisements and does not allow accounts belonging to politicians, governments, or political parties to monetise content. The platform also bans the promotion of election-related material through paid advertisements.
“The only exception is for official entities overseeing elections, which may run ads strictly limited to essential voter information such as how to vote, voter registration, or participation details,” TikTok said, adding that users are encouraged to report misleading content through the in-app reporting tool.– November 13, 2025