TikTok sets up council to allay concerns over content control

Published September 24, 2020
The council, TikTok announced, would help the company develop forward-looking policies. — AFP/File
The council, TikTok announced, would help the company develop forward-looking policies. — AFP/File

ISLAMABAD: Amid concerns in Pakistan and some other Asian countries over lack of content regulations at its platform, TikTok has established a regional Safety Advisory Council to advise its management on content moderation policies and safety issues specific to Asia Pacific.

One of the leading short video platforms, TikTok has introduced its Asia Pacific (APAC) Safety Advisory Council which consists of experts in the field of legal and regulatory bodies and academics from across the region to advise TikTok for policies on content moderation.

Jehan Ara, President of the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT, is one of the seven members of the council.

The council, TikTok announced, would help the company develop forward-looking policies not only to address challenges of current times, but also suggest steps for tackling issues the organisation is likely to face in future.

“TikTok is taking a positive step forward in improving its policies and processes with the establishment of the APAC Safety Advisory Council,” Arjun Narayan, TikTok Director of Trust and Safety, Asia Pacific, said in a statement. “The Council will provide advice as TikTok continues to strengthen its content policies in the Asia Pacific and we look forward to expanding our council in future, with representatives from other markets in the region,” Mr Narayan said.

The founding members of TikTok’s APAC Safety Advisory Council are: Ms Jehan Ara of Pakistan, Amitabh Kumar of India, Nguyen Phuong Linh of Vietnam, Dr Yuhyun Park of Singapore, Prof Akira Sakamoto of Japan, Prof Seungwoo Son of South Korea and Anita Wahid of Indonesia.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...