Gadgets
Alibaba Tencent Others Summoned by Chinese Regulators Over Deepfake Tech
China has increased scrutiny of its Internet giants in recent months, citing concerns over monopolistic behaviour and potential infringement of consumer rights.
Regulators also told the companies to “conduct security assessments on their own” and submit reports to the government when they plan to add new functions or new information services that “have the ability to mobilise society”, the statement said.
There has been a surge in China in copycats of the audio app Clubhouse since the US-based chat service was blocked in the country in early February.
Clubhouse was briefly accessible in China, attracting many users who participated in discussions on sensitive topics such as Xinjiang detention camps and Hong Kong independence, before it was shut down by authorities.
TikTok owner ByteDance is one of many companies working on Clubhouse-like apps for the Chinese market, Reuters reported earlier this month.
Other new offerings include Kuaishou’s invitation-based Feichuan app and Xiaomi’s reworking of Mi Talk app into an invitation-only audio service targeted at professionals.