TikTok Begins Testing Early Version of Platform API

TikTok is testing a beta version of its platform research API, asking members of its Content and Safety Advisory Councils to test an early version of the API.

“To get started, we’ve asked members of our Content and Safety Advisory Councils with expertise in misinformation, violent extremism, hateful behavior, and emerging technologies to test an early version of our platform research API,” TikTok said in a blog post.

“They’ll have access to public data as we gather their feedback on usability and the overall experience," the tech firm added. "We’re dedicated to hearing and incorporating feedback from testers and creating an API that will meet the needs of the scientific community while respecting the privacy of our community.”

Earlier this year, TikTok highlighted that researchers don’t have an easy way to assess content or conduct tests on its platform, which required the need for a research API.

In addition, TikTok is creating a content moderation API. The company plans to share more details in the coming months.

The moderation system API will provide researchers with a way to evaluate TikTok’s content moderation systems and examine existing content on the app.

Researchers will also be able to upload their own content to see how different types of content are either permitted, rejected, or passed to moderators for further evaluation.