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Meta·Technical Product Manager·Onsite - System Design / Architecture·Senior

Senior
May 2026

Summary

Meta TPM system design round, one question about building a video sharing platform with some kind of authenticity verification layer. Pretty open-ended and I wasn't totally sure how deep to go on the trust/integrity side versus the core sharing infrastructure.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

Design a video sharing application that includes mechanisms to verify whether uploaded videos are authentic.

System DesignTechnical Trade-offsProduct Sense & Ideation
Author's notes

I spent the first chunk of time on the standard stuff, upload pipeline, storage, CDN, and kind of forgot the whole point was the authenticity angle.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the product goals and constraints, then outline the core system architecture for video upload, storage, and delivery. Integrate authenticity verification as a cross-cutting concern, discussing detection mechanisms, trade-offs, and user experience. Conclude with metrics and iteration plan.

Pro tip: Emphasize a layered verification approach that balances automation with human review, and proactively address adversarial evolution to show strategic thinking.

1. Clarify Requirements and Scope

Ask questions to understand target users, scale, content types, and business objectives. Define what 'authentic' means in this context (e.g., original, unmanipulated, not misleading).

2. High-Level Architecture

Sketch the core components: upload service, transcoding pipeline, storage (object store + CDN), metadata database, and delivery APIs. Ensure scalability and fault tolerance.

3. Authenticity Verification Mechanisms

Propose a multi-layered approach: cryptographic hashing for duplicate detection, perceptual hashing for near-duplicates, AI models for deepfake detection, metadata analysis, and user reporting. Discuss real-time vs. post-upload checks.

4. Trade-offs and Product Decisions

Analyze trade-offs: false positives vs. false negatives, latency vs. accuracy, cost vs. coverage. Decide on user experience for flagged content (e.g., warning labels, removal, appeals).

5. Metrics and Iteration

Define success metrics (e.g., detection rate, false positive rate, user trust). Outline a feedback loop for model improvement and adaptation to new manipulation techniques.

Key Points to Mention

  • Scalable architecture using microservices, message queues, and CDN for global delivery.
  • Multi-modal verification: combine content, metadata, and user signals.
  • Use of perceptual hashing (e.g., pHash) and deep learning for manipulation detection.
  • Trade-offs between real-time verification and post-upload moderation.
  • Privacy and ethical considerations, including transparency and appeal processes.
  • Continuous learning system to adapt to evolving adversarial tactics.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.