TikTok unveils four concrete measures that focus on more information disclosed and more tools for researchers.
In order to guarantee a responsible platform » allowing its members to « create, share content and have fun safely “, TikTok is committed to providing more transparency. Vanessa Pappas, Director General of Operations, details the new measures that will be deployed by the end of the year.
An API for research and another for the moderation system
These measures aim to enhance transparency and accountability ” of the platform and would have been put in place on the basis of feedback and advice from researchers, academics and others “ experts “.
The first is API access for research on the platform. Indeed, as it stands, according to Vanessa Pappas, “ researchers do not have easy and precise means to identify and evaluate content and trends, or to carry out tests of our platform “. To overcome this shortcoming, the platform is developing a search API that is supposed to facilitate access to public and anonymous content and activity data “.
The second is still API access, but this time for research on the moderation system. Here again, the aim is to offer researchers ” an effective way to assess [les] content moderation systems and review existing content available “. In addition, the latter will have the possibility, via the Transparency and Accountability Centers, to upload their own content to examine how “ different types of content are allowed, rejected or forwarded to moderators for further evaluation “. This API for the moderation system is to be made available this fall in the Transparency and Accountability Centers.
To make the above easier to understand, let us specify that an API (application programming interface or application programming interface) is, according to the CNIL, a software interface which makes it possible to “connect” a software or a service to another software or service in order to exchange data and functionalities.
More detailed reports including information on the fight against influence operations
On the other hand, in addition to the aforementioned APIs, the members of the Security Advisory Committees will have access to more information, including confidential ones, such as the lists of keywords used to detect and report potentially violent content. If you wonder why this list is not public, the reason is very pragmatic: its disclosure would benefit those who try to circumvent the security measures in force on TikTok.
Finally, the last point highlighted is an expansion of transparency reports to include information on the fight against influence operations. Going forward, the Quarterly Community Enforcement Reports will contain data related to covert influence operations identified and removed on the platform globally.
Source : TikTok
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