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الوسم: content moderation

  • China Targets ByteDance and Alibaba in Content Crackdown

    China Targets ByteDance and Alibaba in Content Crackdown

    China’s top internet regulator announced Tuesday plans to take action against ByteDance’s news app Jinri Toutiao and Alibaba’s web browser platform UCWeb over suspicious content. This move comes a day after a broader two-month social media crackdown was declared.

    The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) emphasized its commitment to tackling content that promotes “malicious incitement of conflict” and spreads “negative outlooks on life, such as world-weariness.”

    Beijing mandates that social media firms monitor their platforms carefully, controlling posts to prevent anything considered subversive, vulgar, pornographic, or otherwise harmful from spreading.

    Earlier this month, the CAC already penalized three major digital platforms—Weibo, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu—for neglecting content management responsibilities. The authorities did not specify the exact punishments applied.

    On Tuesday, the CAC said that actions against Jinri Toutiao included summoning company representatives for meetings, issuing directives to rectify issues within set deadlines, issuing warnings, and holding accountable those responsible. The platform failed to uphold its core role of content oversight and permitted harmful material to surface in its trending searches, harming the online environment. Specific details about the content or penalties were not disclosed.

    The CAC stated, “Regulators will persist in focusing on prominent illegal and non-compliant activities that threaten the online ecosystem.”

    Additionally, the agency announced similar measures against UCWeb, which is owned by Alibaba, after it displayed content related to “extremely sensitive and malicious” events like online violence and minors’ privacy issues.

    The two-month campaign, introduced Monday, seeks to “regulate malicious conflict incitement, violence, and harmful online currents.” The agency listed particular issues targeted by the crackdown, such as exploiting trending topics to falsely link identities, regions, or genders with other information, and amplifying stigmatization efforts.

  • Discord Unveils End-to-End Encryption for Audio and Video Calls

    Discord Unveils End-to-End Encryption for Audio and Video Calls

    Discord has introduced end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for its audio and video calls, enhancing security for direct messages, group chats, voice channels, and Go Live streams. This feature is now accessible on both desktop and mobile versions, with plans to roll it out to other platforms next year.

    The company prioritizes transparency regarding its encryption methods, providing the public with detailed information about the protocols in use. Discord reassures users that the quality of calls will remain unaffected by the implementation of E2EE. However, text messages will not be encrypted to maintain moderation under Discord’s content policies.

    E2EE has become more common across various platforms, including Signal, WhatsApp, and Zoom, where it is offered as either a default or optional feature for secure communications.

    Last year, Discord revealed that they were testing new encryption technologies for audio and video interactions. The team has now formally announced the launch of their DAVE protocol for E2EE in a recent blog post.

    To facilitate this new encryption feature, Discord has updated its user interface to indicate when voice and video calls are secured with end-to-end encryption and has added options for members to use Verification Codes for out-of-band verification during E2EE calls.