TikTok takes a dig at Facebook by showing its alogrithms

TikTok revealed  its moderation and data practices, also revealing its algorithm code to encourage competition, and jabbing the history of engulfing competing apps on Facebook. 

In a post published on Wednesday, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer highlighted the social network, saying that TikTok welcomes competition but only if it is fair. 

“We assume equal competition makes us all happier. We say carry it on to those who plan to introduce competitive goods. After their other copycat Lasso failed quickly, Facebook is even launching another copycat app, Reels (tied to Instagram). Yet let’s focus our energies on fair and transparent competition at the service of our consumers, rather than ridiculing our competitor ‘s attacks specifically Facebook veiled as patriotism and intended to end our very presence in the U.S”, says Mayer.  

The hit at Facebook comes hours before Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears alongside Apple, Amazon and Google in a Major Tech hearing to investigate whether these firms have violated antitrust laws through their developments. 

Although TikTok has faced no antitrust issues, the app has raised threats of being banned in the U.S. over criticism of its Chinese roots. The step by TikTok to reveal its algorithms may be a way of preventing those bans.

Mayer says he will take all the measures possible to ensure TikTok’s long-term availability and growth.’ And the parent company ByteDance, according to Reuters, is exploring a $50 billion deal with some of its partners that would give them a controlling stake in the app.

Facebook releases its own transparency reports on a daily basis, including government demands for user data, advertising limits and details on how the site takes action against privacy violations. It does say nothing, however, about the specific codes used to evaluate this detail.