October 2020 – Live Work Digital

TikTok is currently one of the most downloaded Apps in the world. It currently has around a billion monthly active users. So, what is it? In short, it is a platform where people can upload short form video content. It is a little like YouTube, but the videos only go for 60 seconds. In recent times, the company has been under the spotlight because of its links to China. So much so that the US Government is looking to ban the company from operating in America. So, what are the issues with it? Why is there so much fear surrounding the company if it is so popular around the world? The platform is already banned in India, Bangladesh and Malaysia and there is increasing concern that it also provides a security risk in Australia. Why is there so much concern about this particular social media platform which is not only predominantly used by teenagers but also growing in the older demographics.

The company is owned by a Chinese group called Bytedance who launched in China in 2012. By 2017, it took over a relatively small company called Musicly which had slowly been growing in the US market since it began in 2014. Here lies the main reason causing concern for the US Government. Essentially, Musicly was not on the radar in the US until Bytedance took it over. The company merged under the TikTok name and the popularity of the platform skyrocketed.

Suddenly this brought the company into the focus of the US Government regulators. From this point, people started to realise the significance of its reach. The company had a social media presence in the US, with 180 million users on it worldwide. People started to ask questions on how it all happened. How was the company able to operate in the country without any oversite or approval? The answer to this question is simple. They didn’t ask. They must have gone through the appropriate legal process, but it seemed that, because no one was looking, they went and did it anyway.

The difference between TikTok and the others is that this platform uses information that is garnered through peoples interests and choices rather than just socially connected links. What this means is that the intelligence behind the platform, remembers places, locations, type of content watched and so on and so forth. This builds a story and a picture of the person’s life and it starts immediately after the App has been downloaded and the profile is set up. With the content being short, a lot of information can be harvested quickly as people watch more and more video clips.

So how can a social media platform be a security risk? How can we let platforms control so much of our data? The answer to this is that we allow it. When someone signs on, not only do they enter in all their relevant requested details, but they also click yes to the terms and conditions of using the platform. This opens the door for the data to be collected.

Bytedance, the company, continuously argues that all personal information is safe and that it is not given to the Chinese Government. They point out that their servers are stored in the US and in Singapore. Interestingly enough however, deep in the TikTok website, there is a note that says information can be potentially be shared with Bytedance and any of its affiliates. Of course, because all users of the App have already agreed on the Terms and Conditions of the platform, it leaves the door open.

The question we ask ourselves in Australia is whether we also should be looking to ban the platform. As from February 2020 there were 1.6 million Australians who were already using it. The mood seems to be a very cautious approach by the federal government with Scott Morrison flagging that there is “no reason” currently to look at banning TikTok. He does acknowledge that there is risk for personal data to be sent to Beijing and “Australians need to be very aware” of such platforms.

However, there are some very serious concerns that are being raised by cyber security experts in Australia who warn of the dangers of not being vigilant with personal information online. They warn that the difference between this and other social media platforms is that there are no guarantees that the information isn’t being spied on by the Chinese state. TikTok continues to spruik how safe their App is and at the same time has set up offices in Sydney . It looks like they’re here for the long haul. So, for the moment, we will watch this space. Maybe we may even dance a bit along the way.

Information Links

Tik Tok and Law Primer https://www.lawfareblog.com/tiktok-and-law-primer-case-you-need-explain-things-your-teenager

Concerns over Chinese access to personal data gathered through TikTok. https://youtu.be/CAUIaC7hDpQ

TikTok Statistics https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/

What’s going on with TikTok https://www.businessinsider.com.au/whats-going-on-with-tiktok-censorship-privacy-2019-11?r=US&IR=T#:~:text=TikTok%20lets%20users%20easily%20share,that%20doesn’t%20appease%20China.

China’s Bytedance is buying Music.ly https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/09/chinas-toutiao-is-buying-musical-ly-in-a-deal-worth-800m-1b/

TikTok Revenue and Statistics https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/

TikTok Terms and Conditions https://www.tiktok.com/legal/terms-of-use?lang=en

The Australian governments concern about Tik Tok https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/09/the-australian-governments-concern-about-tiktok-is-not-just-about-data-ethics-its-about-politics

Over 1.6 million Australians already using TikTok http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8289-launch-of-tiktok-in-australia-december-2019-202002240606#:~:text=Already%20over%201.6%20million%20Australians,known%20Instagram%2C%20Facebook%20and%20Pinterest.

Revealed:how TikTok censors videos that do not please Beijing. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/sep/25/revealed-how-tiktok-censors-videos-that-do-not-please-beijing

What countries have banned Tiktok https://www.distractify.com/p/what-countries-have-banned-tiktok

Buyer beware…Of TikTok https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/buyer-beware-prime-minister-says-there-is-no-case-to-ban-tiktok-20200805-p55inl.html

Why this data expert says Tikok is not safe https://youtu.be/hZNHJNcO7BM

Today we feature Alvin Wong, a photographer from Melbourne who has been in business for over 15 years. He is a hairdresser by trade, so his story is a fascinating journey of exploration from the analogue to the digital world. He is not a professionally trained photographer. When he decided he wanted to be one, he just went out and made it happen. He learnt through trial and error and he quickly realised that through his hairdressing background he was good at interacting with people. He also had the ability to make people feel at ease.

I met Alvin through an Airbnb Experience photography session which is only a small part of what he does. This was an extension to his side gig of using Air BNB to rent out his properties to guests. His photo sessions are akin to the Instagram style photography of living the urban experience in the Melbourne Streetscape. His main business focuses on weddings, but he also does a lot of different projects which includes travelling with his church to do Mission work. This keeps himself grounded and positive. He is old school but has navigated his way through and adapted his business to the digital world.

In this podcast we talk about how he got to this point in his professional journey giving an insight into the kind of person he is.

He gives to others by sharing his time to his community and to others in general. This year like everyone else, his business has been adversely impacted, but he knows and understands that on the other side of the storm, that things will get better.

He believes in giving people value and not just the monetary kind. His value is his extra detail in making his clients be part of the process, but also all the add-ons that come from adding real life value. As always we hope you enjoy his story.

An interesting thing that I learnt from Alvin’s experience, especially during these CoVid times was how he was able to help his Church by analysing the social media data, and then adapt accordingly. They looked at the statistics and the data available for their Instagram, Facebook and Youtube accounts and found some interesting trends. For their particular circumstance they were able to ascertain that Facebook was the platform which performed the best in relation to engagement by their audience. Instagram was not a big driver for them and they instead used this platform to drive people to their YouTube channel. They found that their Facebook page had a bigger impact on the congregation due to the older demographic of the church.

In the case of his own digital presence, he doesn’t really rely on any traffic from his website. He does admit himself, that the site is not actually a finished product. To add to this he doesn’t have access to it for a number of reasons but he says that ‘he will get to it eventually!”. He also has social media, but that, is also not a driver of business for him. What is clear is that, the more you have an idea of the performance of your social media data, then you can just change it up and then adjust and build a strategic plan accordingly.

The other interesting thing I learnt is that there are bible Apps available! It makes sense, but I have never really thought about it. Apparently it is a thing to actually have in their hands a real physical bible, so that they can do selfies with when they are staying at a hotel. A classic digital tale.

Alvin has had quiet the journey. Through his time, he has realised that, by following his instincts he has built his business to be a very sustainable and successful entity. What is also evident from his story is that if he just continues to give. His satisfaction not only comes from the experiences that he provides to his clients, but also from the giving that he does through his church.

We wish Alvin well for his ongoing journey and to his future upcoming wedding (Postponed by 2020). It will be a well-deserved wait for this next part of his life.

For the moment, its good bye until next time everyone….

Luki – Live Work Digital….See ya!

Month: October 2020

Episode 8 – Alvin Wong [Photographer]