In May, TikTok announced that it would Automatically label AI-generated content on its platform. However, that is not true for all versions of the app. A new report from the Mozilla Foundation and AI Forensics found that the Lite-Save Data version of TikTok, aimed at users in poorer markets, not only fails to label AI-generated content, but also lacks other similar protections.
“Labeling is a very important tactic that platforms use to deliver trust and safety,” said Odanga Madung, a Mozilla fellow and co-author of the report.
For example, users of the full version of TikTok will see a label indicating that content contains graphic or graphic depictions of dangerous behavior. Some content on topics like elections and health, similarly, includes a notice encouraging users to access reliable information through a “resource center” on the app.
On TikTok Lite, there are none of these barriers. Among other things, this means that with AI-generated scam content A problem in elections around the world is that users in poorer markets are less informed about fake and real information than users in richer markets.
Madung questioned why, out of all the features that could have been cut to optimize the app, the company included features that would make the platform safer for users. “We don’t know if this was a choice or just carelessness,” he said.
“There are a number of inaccuracies in this report that fundamentally misrepresent our approach to safety,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. “The truth is that content that violates our rules is removed from TikTok Lite in the same way as our main app, and we offer many safety features.” The company declined to point to any specific inaccuracies.
Lite versions of apps have long been a way for companies to gain market share in regions where users face high data costs or can only afford less advanced phones. In 2015, Meta, then Facebook, Facebook Lite Launcha stripped-down version of the app that was more compatible with 2G data networks. That same year, it also Free Basics Launchallowing users in the Southern Hemisphere to access the platform and some other websites without incurring data charges. (An app or service that meets these criteria is called “zero-cost.”) At the time, the project faced widespread criticism, particularly in India, for creating a second-class experience for poorer customers.
TikTok has been released its Lite version in 2018 in Thailand and quickly expanded to other markets in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The app, unlike the full version of TikTok which can run on 2G and 3G networks, is now available on more than 1 billion downloadsaccording to data from the Google Play Store. (TikTok Lite is only available for Android phones.)
“The majority of users in the global south are low-income and resource-constrained,” said Payal Arora, professor of inclusive AI culture at Utrecht University. Lite versions of the app help companies bring these people on board, which she said is even more important than before because “data is the currency in this AI-driven and AI-hungry market.”
