CAC lists owners of 41 algorithms, including Chinese tech giants, that filed to comply with deep synthesis regulation.
China’s internet regulator has released its first list of approved suppliers of “deep fake” technology. The “white list” released by the Cyber Administration of China (CAC) on Tuesday names the owners of 41 algorithms – including technology giants Tencent, Baidu and Alibaba.
The algorithms were filed in compliance with the Administrative Provisions on Deep Synthesis for Internet Information Service, which came into effect on January 10. The regulation covers deep synthesis service providers that can influence public opinion or society.
Deep synthesis, commonly known as “deep fake,” is defined by the Chinese regulator as the use of technologies – including deep learning and augmented reality – to generate text, images, audio and video and to create virtual scenes.
The dozens of companies that have already filed are involved in the businesses of generating pictures from text, editing images or videos from those uploaded by clients and intelligent customer service, among others, according to the list. The white list includes information about their algorithm, company name, product name and use and the filing number.
China's algorithm filing system went live in March 2022, and in August of the same year the first list of about 30 algorithms from major companies was published. By May 2023, the system already had information on 262 different algorithms from more than a hundred platforms, according to Maria Belyaeva, an expert at the BRICS Competition Centre.
“China is a pioneer in establishing a system for the registration of algorithms used by digital platforms. The 2021 “Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Comprehensive Governance of the Internet Information Service Algorithms” aimed to form a comprehensive algorithm security management system within three years. This framework combines systems for risk monitoring, security assessment, scientific and technical ethics verification, record management, and penalties,"
the expert stressed.
How one of China's largest Internet companies, Alibaba, disclosed its algorithms and what information it provided, said Fu Hongyu, Deputy Director of Alibaba's Center of Data Economy, during the workshop held in May at the Higher School of Economics.
According to him, each algorithm must undergo an internal risk assessment, the results of which are reported to the regulator. The law requires Chinese companies to keep data on identified risks for three years. The platforms that disclose their algorithms are guaranteed trade secret protection by regulators.
Read more about the Workshop on Algorithms Revealing by Alibaba in China.
Source: SCMP
