TikTok planned out a transparency policy to prevent ban of application in US
Tiktok is being blocked, particularly in the United States. As per information from the company, the algorithm that was being blamed for dragging users into danger can be shared with officials in the US. The company is hoping to cut off further bans to be imposed through this transparency policy. Although we can’t say for sure if the offer is going to work out or not,
TikTok algorithm
The Tiktok algorithm is a way in which companies set up content based on your personal interests. This policy is highly secretive within the company.
As per a statement from the company, your feed is based on four points:
- What you watch
- what you enjoy
- What you share
- Who do you follow?
Further investigation revealed that the main signal is based on when you watch specific types of content. The app would recognize your interest and keep suggesting similar content. The suggested content could be unhealthy and harmful for you. ByteDance, TikTok’s owner company, claimed to be working on lowering the effect of this feature on the application.
To circumvent these bans, the Chinese government is expected to order the app to show the content to US political figures who have accused the app of creating content against them.
Transparency offer
According to the Wall Street Journal, ByteDance is allowing US executives to view the code that protects the algorithm.
It is a devised plan, according to TikTok, that would allow US officials to observe an algorithm that is entitled to be the secret sauce of a code that recommends content to its users.
As stated by a TikTok spokeswoman, this offer will be free from layers and quite transparent to show that no means are hidden behind the screen that could harm or be used against any party.
Some people still think this simple solution is complex.
According to some US officials and independent researchers, this setting is extremely difficult. They wondered if getting an answer about what and who determines the suggested content wasn’t too complicated, and they were right.
Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Company, declared it to be very hard from a technical point of view.
Cybersecurity concerns
Even if they are successful in obtaining an algorithm, cyber security remains unaffected. Cybersecurity was particularly targeted because it was claimed to be providing personalized data on US citizens to the Chinese government. This issue has already resulted in the ban of applications from government devices, as well as restrictions on people in certain US states due to app rules.
Sen. Michael Bennett, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has already appealed to Google and Apple to remove the application from their app stores. Last year, a FCC commissioner made the same call.
RS News or Research Snipers focuses on technology news with a special focus on mobile technology, tech companies, and the latest trends in the technology industry. RS news has vast experience in covering the latest stories in technology.
