Chinese companies including ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, retailer Alibaba Group, and the entertainment conglomerate Tencent Holdings, have shared their algorithms with the Chinese government (CCP, Chinese Communist Party) for the first time, according to reports by Bloomberg.

In March, China adopted regulations requiring internet firms to disclose such tools, in an effort to address complaints about data abuse while also helping regulators to keep internet firms on a tighter leash.

China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), has reportedly published a list describing around 30 algorithms for firms including ByteDance and Alibaba – on techniques employed to gather data on users, tailor personal recommendations, and serve up content.

TikTok itself, however, only operates outside of China, which means it is not required to share details of its algorithm with the CAC.

The algorithm list available for public review consists of short descriptions on how they work, and the product and use cases in which they apply, Bloomberg reports.

ByteDance, for example, says its algorithm discerns a user’s likes and dislikes to recommend content on apps including short-video platform Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese cousin, Bloomberg said.

Zhai Wei, and executive director of the Competition Law Research Centre at East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai, told Bloomberg: “No one has ever had access to such details before. Tech companies’ algorithms are the key business secrets that represent their competencies.”

Wei also told Bloomberg that the CAC for now only requires only basic information from the companies, but it may seek more details to investigation allegations of data violations.

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