Tech Desk 
Apr 17, 2025
Although its future in the US is hanging in the balance, TikTok is making fresh bids to build trust with its users in the country as it has started testing a feature called “Footnotes”, imitating the one on Elon Musk's popular blogging site X (formerly known as Twitter).
The new TikTok feature allows users to add extra context and useful information to videos. This update is similar to “Community Notes”, already used by X and recently introduced by Meta, Reuters reported.
The timing is important. TikTok’s presence in the US is under threat after a 2024 law ordered its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app by January 2025.
Though former President Donald Trump has extended the deadline again, the situation remains unclear. By adding features like Footnotes, TikTok seems to be showing it’s serious about making its content more trustworthy.
According to Adam Presser, TikTok’s head of operations and trust & safety, the feature is part of a larger effort to help users understand how reliable content is. It joins tools like content labels, search banners, and fact-checking programmes.
Users in the US can now apply to become Footnotes contributors. To qualify, they must be 18 or older, have had their account for at least six months, and have no recent community guideline issues. People with different views can also vote on how helpful a footnote is, encouraging fair input.
