ABSTRACT
Although Douyin and TikTok thrive in different environments, they share a common property that enables or even guarantees their widespread popularity. As the secret weapon that makes ByteDance one of the world’s most valuable start-up, algorithmic optimisation is still the company’s mission. Algorithms, separated or combined, serve as a cornerstone of the company and its services. To some extent, these platforms are regarded as algorithm-based online video services that deliver personalisation and entertainment. They demonstrate higher levels of profitability than streaming or the traditional screen sector and showcase the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) power and the ambitions in e-commerce. This chapter examines “the skeletons in the cupboard” and unpacks the assumptions, the understandings, the potential and the dangers of algorithms, which reveal the present discourses on the subject that extend to borderline practices, algorithmic regulation and the future of algorithm-focused entertainment media.
