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China's major short-video platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, said it would establish a safety and trust center in 2025 aimed at enhancing transparency in algorithm and platform governance. The move adds to a series of recent pledges by other major Chinese internet platforms to improve algorithm transparency during a three-month official campaign launched in late November to address typical issues with algorithms on online platforms.

Douyin said it plans to introduce 10 measures to enhance transparency in platform operations, foster a secure and trustworthy digital environment while improving the online ecosystem, according to the company's WeChat post on Friday.

Douyin's move comes during the joint campaign by several Chinese regulatory agencies to improve the online environment and strengthen governance on key algorithm-related issues on major network platforms from November 24, 2024 to February 14, 2025.

Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform also known as Little Red Book, on Friday published a post addressing typical issues related to algorithm regulation. The post explains to users how its algorithms and personalized recommendation systems function.

Chinese food delivery platform Meituan published its algorithm rules in late December and announced plans to establish a mechanism for algorithm transparency to consistently promote the responsible and positive application of algorithms.

The major internet platforms' move to improve algorithm transparency shows that the coordinated efforts by Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and other regulatory bodies to address online activities infringing on users' legitimate rights and interests are yielding results, Liu Dingding, a veteran tech industry analyst, told the Global Times on Saturday.

As the algorithmic issues faced by internet platforms continue to evolve, regulatory bodies are expected to continue their efforts to enhance oversight of these algorithms and address emerging regulatory loopholes, Liu added.

Global Times