MANILA, September 22, 2020 – TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile videos, today introduced its Asia Pacific (APAC) Safety Advisory Council. The external Council, which is made up of leading experts in the field of legal and regulatory bodies and academics from across the region, will provide advice on content moderation policies and trust and safety issues specific to APAC.
The Council brings together thought leaders who can help to develop forward-looking policies that not only address the challenges of today, but also plan ahead for the next set of issues that the industry will face. Established to provide unvarnished and forthright views on TikTok’s policies as well as practices, the Council will play a critical role in identifying existing and emerging issues in the region which affect TikTok’s platforms and users, and develop strategies to tackle these challenges.
“TikTok is taking a positive step forward in improving its policies and processes with the establishment of the APAC Safety Advisory Council,” said Arjun Narayan, TikTok Director of Trust and Safety, Asia Pacific. “I’m pleased to welcome the first seven members to the Council and firmly believe this Council is more than capable of providing sound and honest advice as TikTok continues to strengthen its Trust and Safety policies in Asia Pacific. We look forward to expanding our Council in the future, with representatives from other markets in the region.”
The initial members of TikTok’s APAC Safety Advisory Council are:
- Jehan Ara, Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES and The Nest i/o, from Pakistan is a highly regarded expert in the IT industry and will lend her expertise on general content-related issues.
- Amitabh Kumar, Founder of Social Media Matters, from India is known for his initiatives on social digital campaigns and is highly regarded for his digital safety programmes focused on gender sensitization, digital rights and online safety
- Nguyen Phuong Linh, Management and Sustainable Development Institute, from Vietnam advocates for the rights of marginalised groups, especially children, youth, women and people with disabilities.
- Dr. Yuhyun Park, DQ Institute, from Singapore brings valuable experience and expertise in digital literacy, skills and readiness.
- Prof. Akira Sakamoto, Ochanomizu University, from Japan focuses on the intersection of media and digital literacy.
- Prof. Seungwoo Son, Chung-Ang University, from South Korea is a renowned expert on intellectual property and Internet law, which includes defamation, pornography and misinformation.
- Anita Wahid, Gusdurian Network Indonesia and MAFINDO (Indonesia Anti-Hoax Society), from Indonesia is an activist at the intersection of human rights and anti-hoax who understands child safety issues and religious content needs.
The Council will convene quarterly for discussions on key issues, including online safety, child safety, digital literacy, mental health and human rights. Council members will report on observations and submit formal recommendations related to the issues discussed, which TikTok will then consider in its respective Trust and Safety workstreams.
To learn more about TikTok’s APAC Safety Advisory Council and its members, visit https://www.tiktok.com/safety/resources/tiktok-safety-advisory-council.
TikTok is available in over 150 countries and regions in 75 languages. Download the TikTok app via iOS or Google Play.
