INSIDER: Here's everything TikTok says it's doing to fight misinformation
Misinformation will be around as long as there are social media users, says UC expert
Social media expert Jeffrey Blevins, PhD, head of the Department of Journalism. Photo/provided.
Social media is rife with misinformation, but TikTok recently announced it’s going to take two new precautions – in the form of enforcement and education – leading up to the 2022 midterm elections.
"No matter how well-intentioned these policies are - what users must keep in mind - is that there is no foolproof way to combat misinformation," professor and social media expert Jeffrey Blevins told Business Insider.
Blevins, who heads UC’s Department of Journalism, is an often-cited media source and has conducted extensive research on social media platforms and how misinformation is spread.
TikTok is partnering with fact-checking organizations, including Politifact and SciVerify, to assess the accuracy of content; however, there is so much user generated content that some misinformation is bound to slip through the cracks, Blevins said.
Professor Blevins is the co-author of “Social Media, Social Justice and the Political Economy of Online Networks.” He holds affiliate faculty positions at UC in the Department of Communications and the School of Public and International Affairs. His scholarship is grounded in U.S. telecommunication law and policy and engages critical political economy theory.
Read the Business Insider article
Featured image of cell phone with apps courtesy of Unsplash.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Why is there a statue of Stephen Foster in Cincinnati?
June 26, 2026
Even if you don't know American parlor composer Stephen Foster, you’ve probably heard his music. His mid-19th century folk songs, including “Camptown Races” and “Oh Susanna,” make appearances in pop culture to this day. There’s a statue of Foster overlooking the Ohio river in Alms Park that prompted WVXU's Bill Rinehart to feature him in his Cincinnati mysteries segment, OKI Wanna Know. WVXU turned to University of Cincinnati music history expert Kristy Swift for a peek into Foster’s life and impact in the region.
World Cup watch parties unite fans, communities
June 26, 2026
UC Assistant Professor Letisha Brown tells Spectrum News that watch parties for sporting events and entertainment are popular because people feed on others' excitement.
Drone-delivered groceries descending into Cincinnati
June 25, 2026
Walmart is bringing drone delivery to Cincinnati, as reported by 700WLW. Host Scott Sloan spoke with Michael Jones, associate professor of economics at the University of Cincinnati's Lindner College of Business, for a look at what it means for Cincinnati shoppers.