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Chronicles

The story behind the story

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Internal records show ByteDance uses word lists to detect or suppress content, extending beyond standard moderation blocklists; TikTok denies using the lists

A moderation system run by ByteDance staff in China uses word lists to detect or suppress content about everything from TikTok rival YouTube

Forbes Alexandra S. Levine

Discussion

  • @brendancarrfcc Brendan Carr on x
    New reporting has uncovered a series of “sensitive words” lists or monitoring tools that TikTok's parent. ByteDance, maintains. They “extend well beyond standard moderation blocklists” and cover U.S. political topics to Uyghurs + more, @Ali_Lev writes https://www.forbes.com/...
  • @forbes @forbes on x
    ByteDance's “sensitive words” tool, run by staff in China, hosts word lists that dictate what users of its platforms can and can't see—and they seem to go far beyond what's standard for social media companies. 50+ lists have “TikTok” or “US” in the title: https://www.forbes.com/.…
  • @hawleymo Josh Hawley on x
    Big surprise - TikTok is tracking and suppressing mentions of Uyghurs, China and Trump. The Beijing propaganda machine rolls on https://www.forbes.com/...
  • @sarthakgh Sar Haribhakti on x
    “Dozens of current and former TikTok and ByteDance employees have told Forbes that any purported separation between the two companies is largely cosmetic.” https://www.forbes.com/... Who could have seen this coming?