In a move reminiscent of Facebook’s early days, TikTok is launching a new feature that enables college students to find and connect with peers on their campus. The feature, named Campus Verification, allows users to add their college to their TikTok profile and browse a list of fellow students at their institution.
To use this feature, users must go to their profile and tap the “Add school” button. They then enter their school name and select their graduation year. To verify their enrollment, users are required to provide their academic email address. Once verified, their college name and graduation year will be displayed on their profile.
Users can explore their school’s page, filter by graduation year, and view all students who have added the institution to their profiles. They can also sort the user list to show the most-followed accounts first.
This feature is available at over 6,000 universities through TikTok’s partnership with UNiDAYS, a student verification platform that confirms student status.
TikTok aims for this feature to transform its platform into a hub for real-world connections and a sense of belonging on campus, similar to Facebook’s original mission when it launched in 2004.
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While this new feature may be beneficial for college students seeking to connect with others, it raises concerns about digital privacy, as it could facilitate tracking among users. However, participation is optional; users can choose not to add their school to their profiles.
It’s also noteworthy that Instagram was testing a similar feature last year, allowing users to display their school information and graduation year. It’s unclear whether that feature will be rolled out or has been scrapped.
SOURCE: TECH CRUNCH
