Building a Safer Digital Future: CCDS Teams Shine at TikTok TechJam Hackathon 2025
It was a remarkable showing for CCDS at the TikTok TechJam Hackathon 2025, where several student groups demonstrated creativity, technical rigour, and social impact through technology.
Leading the way was Team Blueberry Jam, made up of five Year 2 Computer Science students from CCDS, who clinched both the First Place and People’s Choice awards. Another CCDS-linked team, Team SCC, secured Second Place, while Team Tokbokki and Team Win One also impressed with their ideas in AI, automation, and data visualisation.
Held under the theme “Build with Joy, Code for Change,” TikTok TechJam 2025 invited university participants across Singapore to develop AI-powered solutions to real-world challenges. Team Blueberry Jam, comprising Cindy Austin, Daniel Mark, Parvez Kurniawan Wijaya, William Notowibowo, and Vindy Ariya Anggiono, took the top spot with PrivaStream, a system that protects livestreamers’ privacy on platforms such as TikTok Live. View project →
Their concept was inspired by the growing risk of personal data exposure during live broadcasts. PrivaStream detects and redacts spoken information such as phone numbers and addresses, blurs bystanders’ faces while keeping the creator visible, and automatically masks licence plates or sensitive text on screen. Its modular design also allows it to be adapted for short-form videos, video calls, and social-media uploads, paving the way for safer digital spaces.
“We realised how vulnerable creators are during unedited, fast-paced streams where personal details can accidentally appear on screen,” the team shared. “Current privacy tools only work after the damage is done. We wanted something that protects creators the moment they go live.”
Despite integration challenges just hours before submission, Team Blueberry Jam worked overnight to complete their prototype. The experience taught them how constraints can sharpen creativity and strengthen teamwork under pressure.
Daniel Mark, who developed the audio model, said the time crunch pushed them to make faster, bolder decisions. For Cindy Austin, the hackathon underscored the importance of adaptability, noting that setbacks were inevitable but staying focused made the difference. Parvez Kurniawan Wijaya, who led video-model development, shared that keeping morale high helped them push through fatigue.
When the results were announced, the students were stunned. Hearing their name called for both First Place and People’s Choice left them in disbelief before excitement set in. William Notowibowo, who handled back-end and model integration, said the recognition validated their hard work and teamwork. Vindy Ariya Anggiono, who focused on front-end and UI/UX, added that the most rewarding moment was seeing PrivaStream perform successfully during the live demo.
CCDS talent also shone across other categories. Team SCC, comprising members from various institutions including CCDS student Ansel Kee, took Second Place for “Denoising Reviews With Mamba,” which uses AI to improve the reliability of user-generated reviews. View project →
Team Tokbokki, featuring CCDS students Peeranat Kongkijpipat, Nathan Juirnarongrit, Theeraphat Trongmetheerat, Naruesorn Prabpon, and Kulpatch Chananam, created “Tokbokki: Kotlin Dependency Visualisation Tool,” helping developers better understand software dependencies. View project →
Team Win One, comprising members from multiple institutions including CCDS student Toh Jian Hong, developed “Leveraging LLMs for Assessing TikTok Reviews with RAG,” which uses large language models and retrieval-augmented generation to analyse the authenticity and sentiment of online reviews. View project →
Together, these achievements showcase the diversity of talent and collaboration within CCDS, spanning privacy-centric AI solutions, developer tools, and intelligent review systems.
Reflecting on their project’s impact, Team Blueberry Jam shared,
“Our approach can be integrated into existing platforms so that privacy protection happens seamlessly for users. It is not just about preventing leaks, it is about building trust in how people use AI.”
For all participating CCDS students, the hackathon was more than a competition. It was a reminder of the creativity, collaboration, and purpose that define computing today. Describing their journey in three words, Team Blueberry Jam summed it up best: Challenging, Rewarding, Unforgettable.
