Amid its meteoric rise, one element that TikTok has been criticized for is its amplification of trends without credit to the originators. This has been specifically highlighted in the platform’s trending ‘dance’ moves, with Black creators calling TikTok out to do a bit more in acknowledging the origins of such within the app.
Credit Where Due
Due to recent outcries, this is what TikTok now looks to address, via the launch of new tools that better enable users to credit trend originators, along with new educational videos and prompts that explain its importance. In a way, it’s a similar process to the pandemic’s ‘Contact Tracing’ protocols, only that this one is actually beneficial to whoever is the ‘original’ source.
In TikTok’s words:
“With the launch of these crediting tools, creators will have the ability to directly tag, mention, and credit a video in their description, showcasing the diverse voices on the platform and the strength of our community. Whether taking part in the latest trend, adding a punchline to a joke, or creating the next viral sound, creators can easily and directly cite their inspiration.”
Based on this example, the new process will facilitate easy tagging during the posting process, making it a simpler task to credit original creators, leading to an overall fairer creator market and environment.
Once a clip has been uploaded, tap the new ‘video’ icon to add video tags. From here, you’ll then be able to select a video that you’ve previously liked, favorited, and even posted! You can even choose videos that make use of the same sound or audio as your upload. The video tag will then be added as a mention in the caption, crediting the original creator and ensuring proper attribution.
“We’re also adding more user prompts to credit throughout the posting process along with an educational pop-up that encourages and explains the importance of crediting. These features are an important step in our ongoing commitment to investing in resources and product experiences that support a culture of credit, which is central to ensuring TikTok remains a home for creative expression.”
The Wrap
This would’ve been even better if TikTok came up with the idea by itself, instead of having it borne out of criticism, which is unfortunately why it now chose to launch the initiative. Regardless of the reason, it’s mainly a positive outcome and actually speaks well about TikTok being proactive in heeding the feedback and clamors of its audience, which is an even more rare attribute in most other social platforms nowadays.
In any case, it’ll serve as a better indicator for future apps, helping to improve relevant considerations and reaffirming the value of intellectual property in a domain where almost anything can be put up for grabs, even personal thoughts.
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