TikTok making it possible to skip videos that may cause seizures? from blog The Technology blog and podcast

TikTok making it possible to skip videos that may cause seizures?

The BBC is reporting that TikTok is going to roll out a feature that will allow users to skip videos that may cause seizures in people who have epilepsy. While I definitely applause the video sharing service for this move which is probably needed in the worst way, the company behind TikTok needs to get their privacy straight first. Here is a little bit what the article is saying.

TikTok has announced a new feature that will allow people with photosensitive epilepsy to skip videos that could trigger seizures.
It comes a few months after it began labelling videos featuring effects such as flashing lights.
The Skip All option, to be rolled out in the next few weeks, will allow users to set their profile to not show these videos.

An epilepsy charity said it hoped other social-media sites would follow suit.

Users who come across a photosensitive video will receive a notification inviting them to skip all similar videos in future.

TikTok said it wanted to make the platform “accessible for everyone”.
“Given the visual nature of our platform, we’re beginning this work with a series of photosensitivity features,” it added.

I wonder how this technology works? I like the idea, but don’t you think they should get their privacy and security taken care of at the same time they’re doing something good to a community that so badly needs technology in place so they can enjoy the videos that the sighted and other disabled communities take for granted?

The UK’s Epilepsy Society has previously raised concerns with TikTok about harmful content, after being alerted to strobe video filters and seizure-challenge
trends.

The challenge encouraged young people to mimic the effects of a seizure on camera, to the song Lucid Dreams, by rapper Juice WRLD, who died following a
seizure last year.

The trend was widely condemned by epilepsy charities and described as highly offensive.
Epilepsy Society acting head of external affairs Nicola Swanborough said of the new feature: “It is extremely encouraging to see a platform with such a
significant following as TikTok introducing algorithms to detect photosensitive content and protect people with epilepsy.”
And she hoped the move would “turn up the heat on other big players in the industry to take the safeguarding of its users with epilepsy seriously”.

I do hope the move goes well, but fixing your PR first should be your priority.

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Informazioni sull'articolo

TikTok making it possible to skip videos that may cause seizures? was released on November 27, 2020 at 9:00 am by tech in accessibility newsand issues,article commentary.
Last modified: November 26, 2020.

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