On March 13th, Douyin issued a notice regarding the crackdown on "malicious reporting" by the water army. From January to early March 2024, Douyin indefinitely banned over 3000 accounts and their associated devices engaged in such behavior, which involves fabricating evidence through image editing to report others. Additionally, Douyin warned users to beware of online solicitations for "recruiting water army" or "providing water army services" to avoid falling victim to scams.
According to the platform, during the Spring Festival period, routine security checks revealed that certain marketing accounts repeatedly reported others with highly similar reasons for reporting. Some users also reported instances where they were threatened with "reporting and account suspension" after posting content that differed from others' viewpoints. Upon investigation, these actions were found to originate from organized water army groups. They would fabricate evidence such as transaction screenshots and chat logs between themselves and the targeted account using image editing software. Subsequently, they would mobilize numerous accounts to collectively report the victimized users.
These types of groups also engage in recruiting water army members through comments on videos related to the topic of water armies. They may advertise their water army services, offer tutorials on banning techniques, and entice users to contact them. Once contacted, users are often asked to make payments or transfer money for various reasons, resulting in financial losses.
TikTok security personnel point out that despite efforts to crack down on fake engagement groups in recent years, such phenomena still persist. Looking at past cases of crackdowns, some fake engagement websites have been able to accumulate over 60,000 orders in just three months, with the illicit proceeds of black market groups often reaching hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. These orders encompass a range of violations, including boosting live stream popularity, malicious reporting, commenting, follower boosting, and fake likes.
During the Spring Festival period, particular focus was placed on combating malicious reporting groups. The platform utilized constantly updated models to identify malicious reporting content, such as reports aimed at inflating metrics or reporting on homogeneous content. For certain malicious reporters, the platform implemented online reporting filtering mechanisms and forwarded clues of suspected illegal activities to law enforcement agencies. In 2023, TikTok, in collaboration with local law enforcement, dismantled three malicious reporting hubs, leading to the criminal detention of 10 individuals, administrative penalties for one person, and the confiscation of nearly 500 mobile phones on-site. TikTok's security team advises users to report similar violations on the platform or send details to the designated reporting email address if they encounter such behavior.
