#English #tiktok

#Newspaper

Suspected Leaked Guidelines from TikTok, Videos Filmed with Ugly Faces or Poor Backgrounds not Recommended

(22 Mar) In order to ensure the content shared by users would not contain anything inappropriate, lots of companies would hire administrators to check, and, if necessary, to remove content which might be offensive. Recently, The Intercept has obtained leaked data of TikTok, which included the guidelines for TikTok’s administrators. In the guidelines, the administrators should exclude the users who are considered “ugly”, “too old”, disabled from the “For You” section of the app. The shooting environment which appeared to be too poor should not be allowed as well. Besides, the document emphasis TikTok shall side with China’s foreign policies. Administrators shall remove everything that includes the Tiananmen massacre, support for the independence of Taiwan and Hong Kong and content “harmful to China’s national pride”. In response, TikTok stated the guidelines are to prevent cyberbullying and those guidelines have already been cancel last year. TikTok also emphasised that it is a platform for the users to freely express themselves.

Source: Unwire HK
https://bit.ly/2WEXvbv

Further reading
Youtube Censorship
https://publielectoral.lat/guardiansofhongkong/18926
#ChinesePropaganda #Censorship #FakeImage #TikTok #Discrimination

#English #Tiktok

#MassSurveillance
#TikTok Browser Can Track Users’ Keystrokes, According to New Research

// The web browser used within the TikTok app can track every keystroke made by its users, according to new research that is surfacing as the Chinese-owned video app grapples with U.S. lawmakers’ concerns over its data practices.

The research from Felix Krause, a privacy researcher and former Google engineer, did not show how TikTok used the capability, which is embedded within the in-app browser that pops up when someone clicks an outside link. But Mr. Krause said the development was concerning because it showed TikTok had built in functionality to track users’ online habits if it chose to do so.

Collecting information on what people type on their phones while visiting outside websites, which can reveal credit card numbers and passwords, is often a feature of malware and other hacking tools. While major technology companies might use such trackers as they test new software, it is not common for them to release a major commercial app with the feature, whether or not it is enabled, researchers said. //

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/technology/tiktok-browser-tracking.html

Source: New York Times #Aug19

#BigBrother #CreditCard #Privacy

Cyberspace Administration of China: Already Held 30 Large IT Companies' Algorithm Technologies

Cyber Administration of China (#CAC) indicated on #Aug12 that 30 top IT companies have submitted part of their algorithm details, such as how to collect personal data and how to set up individual recommendation content. 

Companies includes #Tencent, #TikTok under #ByteDance, #MeiTuen, #iFeng, #Weibo, #Youku, #Kuaishou, #Baidu, #Sina, #Xiaomi, #WeChat, and #Tmall and #Taobao under #Alibaba.

#Bloomberg report stated that China can have full grasp of every move done by the citizens on the internet, and even all purchase detail and personal information can be seen clearly via the relevant enterprises and applications.

The CAC passed the regulations on algorithm recommendation in March this year, requiring all enterprises to reveal the algorithm used in every application.

Nominally, they can solve the issue of data misuse and enhance cyber security. But once when the authority obtained algorithm technology, they can take further control over web activity and carry out political propaganda.

They even can take "National Security" as an excuse, to obtain citizens' and companies' information.

Source: PC Market #Aug17
https://www.pcmarket.com.hk/china-netcom-algorithm-technology-of-30-technology-giants-has-been-mastered/?fbclid=IwAR3nrfecOdr8bYlAdIkaE3S783sF8pEprBrq_7Jg46s3lLXzzi1Pv8aSX0k

#CyberAdministrationofChina #surveillance #NationalSecurity #Webtracking #AlgorithmTechnology