Chinese regulators to meet tech and web firms over security threats such as ‘deepfake’ technology
Top technological and internet companies will be called in to meet with Chinese officials over the use of “deepfake” and other new technology which allegedly create safety and security issues for the state.
Eleven tech and web firms had been lined up for the meetings, announced the Cyberspace Administration of China, a watchdog on internet information, on its public social media channel on Weixin on Thursday.
The regulatory body said that in the interest of protecting national security, keeping social order and serving the public, authorities needed to assess the safety of new technologies such as “deepfake” and also new audio social media platforms.
One such platform was the popular app “Clubhouse,” which China banned in February after it hosted, for a week or so, uncontrolled public discussion in the mainland on topics such as the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. The encrypted messaging app Signal also appeared to be blocked in mainland China earlier this week.
The 11 companies scheduled for the regulatory sessions include smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, e-commerce giants Alibaba and Tencent, streaming services NetEast and Inke, and face-swap app Avatarify. TikTok developer ByteDance and Kuaishou, both makers of video-sharing apps, have been summoned as well.
The regulatory body strongly urged companies to comply with the country’s cybersecurity laws, and warned that authorities would increase inspections and policing of the use of these new technologies.
“Companies should fulfill their responsibilities, help protect the exchange of information online and create a healthy online ecology,” it wrote.
Chinese political scientist Wu Qiang said new apps posed a potential threat for the government, especially as China’s Communist Party was preparing to celebrate its centenary. It was of utmost importance for the government to be able to control all public discourse in order to protect the party’s political safety, he said.
“Deepfake,” a composite of “deep learning” and “fake,” is an artificial intelligence technology which creates synthetic media. It is able to replace a person’s existing image with someone else’s likeness by collecting a vast amount of photos and videos. And while creating fake content is not a new concept, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning enables deepfake creations to look extremely real.
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