Jakarta. Bigo Live, Bigo Technology's live streaming platform, has been working with the Communication and Information Technology Ministry since January to filter illegal content using artificial intelligence, or AI.

In December 2016, the Bigo Live app was banned in Indonesia for hosting illegal content including pornography, violence, criminal acts and harmful behavior.

Since the ban was lifted in early 2017, Bigo Technology has been working with the ministry to improve its community guidelines and streaming mechanism, and also to filter out illegal content on the app.

The Bigo Technology office in Jakarta has an AI monitoring and surveillance team working around the clock to do the job.

"Since 2017, the Indonesian government has been using Bigo Technology's content filtering system to help detect, monitor and block illegal content related to pornography, fraud, gambling and terrorist activities," Mike Ong, Bigo Technology's vice president of government relations, told the Jakarta Globe.

"All of Bigo Technology's applications are powered by AI. Through AI, images and videos with pornography, violence and information related to terrorism can be identified with a 99 percent accuracy rate," Ong said.

From January 2017 until February 2019, Bigo Technology and the ministry have blocked over 200,000 posts containing illegal content on the Bigo Live app.

Aside from the content-filtering, Bigo Technology also works with the ministry's public relations department on creating cybersecurity campaigns and live streaming guidelines.

Responses to Covid-19

During the Covid-19 outbreak, people can use the Bigo Live app to get health advice while they're on lockdown or self-isolation. 

"Medical advice on Covid-19 will be streamed live by healthcare professionals," Ong said.

Bigo Live would also continue to provide entertainment content, including popular dance and singing competitions, to amuse people while they stay at home.

Bigo Technology has over 330 million users in 150 countries for its three apps – Bigo Live, Likee and Imo messenger. Bigo Live has a total of 20 million users in Indonesia.