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☆ TikTok: Is it really Chinese?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Is TikTok Chinese? In March 2023, CEO Chew was repeatedly pressed by US lawmakers on whether TikTok was Chinese. According to TikTok’s own website, its subsidiaries around the world are all structured under Bytedance Ltd.Is ByteDance Chinese? At last year’s congressional hearing, Chew didn’t directly answer any questions about whether ByteDance is a Chinese company either. That means the Chinese government now owns 1% of Beijing Douyin Information Service, which is the domestic Chinese unit of Bytedance.

Persons: TikTok, Shou Chew, Trump, Chew, Jose Luis Magana, Musical.ly, TikTok’s, ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, Liang Rubo, Zhang, Liang, Jinri, Chew didn’t, Shannon Stapleton, Zhang Fuping, Xi Jinping, Wu Shugang, Shu Yuting Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, TikTok LLC, TikTok Ltd, ByteDance Ltd, Bytedance Ltd, Tianjin’s Nankai University, ByteDance, Carlyle Group, General Atlantic, Susquehanna International Group, Reuters, Communist, Cyberspace Administration, Beijing Douyin Information Service, Chinese Communist Party, National Intelligence Law, Commerce Ministry Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Beijing, California, Los Angles, Singapore, Delaware, Culver City , California, Cayman Islands, Shanghai, Chinese, TikTok

☆ Who is Jeff Yass? The billionaire donor with investments in TikTok’s parent company
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Yass co-founded the Philadelphia-based trading firm Susquehanna International Group, which owns a 15% stake in TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance. Yass' investment is under threat today, and the typically press-shy billionaire is taking fire from both the left and the right. "This would be a nightmare for Yass, given the major investment in TikTok, if a forced ban hit the company under the Biden administration," Ives said. Today, at least 150 million Americans use TikTok regularly, according to company data. The company has said it stores U.S. users' data securely and rejects the idea that it poses a threat to national security.

Persons: Jeff Yass, Yass, Donald Trump, ByteDance, Joe Biden, Dan Ives, Biden, Ives, TikTok, Chip Roy, Shou Zi Chew Organizations: Susquehanna International Group, TikTok, Wedbush Securities, Susquehanna, NBC, Capitol Locations: TikTok, Washington, Yass, Philadelphia, TikTok's China, bankrolling, ByteDance, Beijing, Texas

☆ Inside TikTok's fight against the most powerful music label in the industry and what could happen next
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Music licensing talks are heating up between TikTok and Universal Music Group as negotiations have left the conference room and entered the public sphere. "Their core mission is to generate as much money as they can from their recordings for their shareholders," David Herlihy, a copyright lawyer and music industry professor at Northeastern University, told BI. The company is in the process of launching a dedicated streaming app, TikTok Music, and has worked closely with artists on influencer listening parties, livestreams, and in-person events. But TikTok, as a global social giant, is an important product for music artists and labels. This is why the music industry is seeking to capture more value."

Persons: Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, TikTok, It's, David Herlihy, David, Goliath, UMG, Tatiana Cirisano, Jonny Kaps, MIDiA's Cirisano Organizations: TikTok, Universal Music Group, Business, Hollywood, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Northeastern University, Music, MIDiA Research, YouTube, Universal, SiriusXM Locations: India, Australia

☆ My YouTube channel makes up to $1 million in ad revenue a month. Here's how I went from producing free videos for other creators to 14 million subscribers of my own.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Rebecca Zamolo has over 14 million subscribers on YouTube and over 17 million followers on TikTok. Zamolo talks about how she got started on YouTube and built her first 1 million subscribers. Every sixth video, I pushed my YouTube channel, with a clip of a teaser of a full YouTube video. With my YouTube audience coming from Musical.ly, I realized my audience had become younger. For my main YouTube channel, "Rebecca Zamolo," my content is higher-quality, produced videos that appeal to a mass audience.

Persons: Rebecca Zamolo, Zamolo, I'd, —, Matt, I've Organizations: YouTube, Google's AdSense, YouTube YouTube Locations: Los Angeles, Musical.ly, Google's

☆ US-China investments: New Biden executive order deals 'major blow' to Chinese startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it would restrict investments by US venture capital and private equity firms, as well as joint ventures, in Chinese artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors. The executive order applies to investments in the cities of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as mainland China. She said the new edict suggested that Washington was “trying to ‘decouple’” US and Chinese venture capital, despite the administration’s insistence that it is not trying to halt trade with China. US venture capital investment into China has plummeted about 80% over the past year, according to PitchBook data. And the investment restrictions were long in the works.

Persons: Biden, they’ll, ”, Edith Yeung, Washington, Yeung, Kyle Stanford, Kaidi Gao, Tomohiro Ohsumi, “, Gao, Washington —, Xi Jinping, Gina Raimondo’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Race Capital, ”, PitchBook, Bloomberg, Getty, Investors, Washington, Sequoia Capital, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Locations: Hong Kong, China, Macao, Silicon, United States, “ Washington, US, ”, Shanghai, chipmaking, Stanford, Beijing

☆ A TikTok Shop exec breaks down the company's vision for the product and how it's wooing brands and creators
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

With Shop, TikTok wants to replicate the success of commerce on its Chinese sister app Douyin. Patrick Nommensen, TikTok GM of UK ecommerce, discussed some of the details for brands and creators. TikTok has big ambitions for shopping and has been investing heavily in it — from developing a logistics business to powering in-app purchases through TikTok Shop. Overseeing TikTok Shop has been one of Nommensen's focuses. Nommensen said TikTok has been working with some high-tier creators and celebrities on a strategic basis to spread awareness around TikTok Shop, pairing them with merchants.

Persons: TikTok, Patrick Nommensen, It's, Nommensen, Nommensen's, livestreaming, Sellers, it's Organizations: TikTok, ByteDance, Street Journal, Facebook, Insider Intelligence Locations: Asia, TikTok, Musical.ly, Spain, Brazil, Southeast Asia, China

☆ An explosive new lawsuit claims TikTok's owner built a 'backdoor' the CCP could exploit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Dan Whateley | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

ByteDance allowed a Chinese Communist Party unit to censor content and access data, a new lawsuit alleges. ByteDance built a "backdoor channel" to enable CCP access to US user data, the suit alleges. An explosive new lawsuit claims TikTok owner ByteDance built a "backdoor channel" in its code that allowed Chinese Communist Party members access to user data hosted in the US. Yu is a former engineering lead for ByteDance in the US who worked at the company between 2017 and 2018. The complaint alleges the "Committee continued to have access" to US user data even after ByteDance walled off access for individual engineers in China.

☆ An explosive new lawsuit claims TikTok's owner built a 'backdoor' that allowed the CCP to access US user data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Dan Whateley | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ How TikTok became a 'gold mine' for dancers looking to get discovered and changed the way they make money
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"This app is a gold mine for artists like me who are still looking for their big break," Dharmapuram said. As TikTok has ascended, popular artists from Dua Lipa to Lizzo have integrated TikTok dances into their promotional strategies and seen their songs go viral. TikTok creators, professional dancers, choreographers, and dance companies who spoke with Insider said the app had changed the way they choreographed, helped them earn more money, and given them access to career opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have had. TikTok has also given dance companies and agents access to talent they otherwise wouldn't have known about. Even dance companies like American Ballet Theatre have gotten on the bandwagon.

☆ How TikTok has changed the dance industry, becoming a 'goldmine' for performers looking for their big breaks and driving choreography that fits the frame
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"This app is a goldmine for artists like me who are still looking for their big break," Dharmapuraum said. As TikTok has ascended, popular artists from Dua Lipa to Lizzo have integrated TikTok dances into their promotional strategies and seen their songs go viral. TikTok has also given dance companies and agents access to talent they otherwise wouldn't have known about. Even dance companies like American Ballet Theatre have gotten on the bandwagon. As more people have hopped on TikTok dance trends, creators, especially those of color, have called for proper crediting for choreography, which the app has tried to address with more tools.

Both are owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, but Douyin launched before TikTok and became a viral sensation in China. Like TikTok, it’s a short-form video app. Then in 2017, the privately-owned tech company bought a US-based video startup and released TikTok as the overseas version of Douyin. The download page for the TikTok app displayed on an Apple iPhone. Besides TikTok, there’s also shopping app Temu, fast fashion retailer Shein and video editing app CapCut, which is also owned by ByteDance.

☆ TikTok CEO got grilled by lawmakers from both parties on whether the Chinese-owned app can protect American privacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Welcome to the most bipartisan committee in Congress," boomed Rep. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., noted this was the 32nd hearing Congress has held on privacy and Big Tech. A ban or forced sale of the app, which some members think is the only way to solve the immediate risks, is another matter. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) is reviewing ByteDance's acquisition of TikTok's predecessor app, Musical.ly. Or, the government could find other ways to try to ban the app.

☆ After growing a TikTok following, House Democrat leads push against a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

On Wednesday, Bowman will host a news conference with more than 30 TikTok creators whose platforms are threatened by the U.S. government's push toward greater restrictions on the app. TikTok last week said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. threatened a broader ban of the app if ByteDance wouldn't sell its stake. The interagency group is reviewing potential national security risks stemming from ByteDance's 2017 acquisition of TikTok precursor Musical.ly. That lack of familiarity with the app may be part of what's driven lawmakers toward a ban, Bowman said. Simon's pitch to her boss was to show him just how many young users are on TikTok, especially over other platforms.

☆ TikTok's potential U.S. ban presents host of questions for app stores, internet companies and the government
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The TikTok logo is displayed outside TikTok social media app company offices in Culver City, California, on March 16, 2023. related investing news What a potential TikTok ban could mean for Club holding Meta Platforms It's not an issue yet, as there are still some ways a TikTok ban could be avoided or accessed legally in the U.S. Should the U.S. ban TikTok, the mechanics on what happens from there get murky. And the app stores controlled by Apple and Google are the primary places for consumers to download the TikTok app. Under Chinese law, companies can be required to hand over internal information to the government for supposed national security purposes.

The six countries included in the bill are China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba, Warner said. "This competition with China around who dominates technology domains, that really is where the nexus of national security lies going forward," Warner said. Warner said the bill is not solely meant to address TikTok, and rather should create a "systemic approach" that prevents the need for one-off actions. "A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide. We hope that Congress will explore solutions to their national security concerns that won't have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans."

☆ TikTok sets automatic one-hour screen time limit for teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok said Wednesday it will implement an automatic 60-minute screen-time limit for all users under the age of 18. Teens will be able to opt out of the feature if they want, but TikTok said that the app will prompt teens to set a limit if they spend "more than 100 minutes on TikTok in a day." TikTok is taking steps to curb screen time for its younger users as it stares down growing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its security and the safety of children on the platform. A study from the Pew Research Center last August found 67% of American teenagers used TikTok, with 16% of all teens saying they used it "constantly." TikTok parent ByteDance faces a probe from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as CFIUS, over national security concerns.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance a bill that would grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok, the Chinese social media app used by more than 100 million Americans. Yet even as Democrats objected, many of them said they did so regretfully, and they would have much preferred to support a version of McCaul's TikTok ban. "My bill empowers the administration to ban TikTok or any other software application that threatens U.S. national security." "It would be unfortunate if the House Foreign Affairs Committee were to censor millions of Americans," TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter told CNBC in an email Monday. On Monday, the Biden administration released new implementation rules for a TikTok ban that applies only to federal government-owned devices, which was passed by Congress in December.

☆ Senators pressure CFIUS to wrap up TikTok probe with strict restrictions, potentially even separating it from its Chinese parent company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The New Economy Forum is being organized by Bloomberg Media Group, a division of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. The company has said U.S. user data is not stored in China and that it continually tests its security measures. That kind of access would be particularly worrying since China's national security laws allow it to compel companies based there to hand over internal information if the government believes there is a national security issue at play. The group is empowered to investigate foreign investments and transactions with potential national security risks. "CFIUS is committed to taking all necessary actions within its authority to safeguard U.S. national security," a Treasury spokesperson said in a statement.

☆ USC has an influencer group that helps students get deals with brands like DoorDash and American Eagle. Here's its 7-page pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Nhari Djan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Student organization USC Reach is here to prove that you can finish a degree while furthering your career as a content creator. President Dylan Huey was conflicted about this in 2016 when he was in high school. USC Reach pitches brands with an email template and slide deckWhen contacting brands, Reach typically cold emails companies using the following template. I am currently the President for USC Reach, USC's first and only social media club. Let me know if you have 15 minutes to chat and I'd love to get a partnership between [company] and USC Reach going.

☆ Elon Musk asked Twitter followers if he should bring back Vine, the cult TikTok forerunner that popularized short-form video
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk polled his Twitter followers over whether he should bring back defunct video platform Vine. Vine was owned by Twitter but shut down in 2016 after many of its biggest stars left the platform. Musk completed his deal to buy Twitter Friday, and is already looking to make sweeping changes. Twitter discontinued Vine in 2016, keeping an archive service until it fully shut down three years later. Musical.ly then became the most popular short-form video app, with an emphasis on lip-syncing videos, before being bought by ByteDance, the parent of TikTok, in 2017.

☆ How much music producers get paid to create TikTok song remixes and mashups
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remixes and mashups are spreading across TikTok, driving music trends on the app. Record labels and marketers are hiring producers to create remixes as part of song promotions. Remixes and mashups are proliferating on TikTok, and it's shifting how marketers promote songs on the app. Music producers with TikTok followings can earn anywhere from $500 to $5,000 to produce a remixed version of a track, Cloherty said. As with many internet trends, remixes and mashups have seen a resurgence this year.

☆ Transgender TikTok creators say the app's mysterious 'For You' page is a breeding ground for transphobia and targeted harassment
▼ + stars: | 2021-02-27 | by ( Connor Perrett | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Brickham, a 38-year-old trans woman living in Florida, posted photos of her transition after seeing other trans creators do the same. But transgender creators say TikTok is an unwitting accelerator for transphobia and harassment. TikTok features — like duets, which allow users to respond to another user's videos — have also been a tool for harassers. Trans creators told Insider that the "For You" page allowed them to quickly find a community and support on the app. Creators told Insider that the transphobia they faced on TikTok was more intense than on other social-media platforms.

Persons: —, Chelsea Brickham, TikTok, Brickham, she'd, didn't, they'd, Madelyn Whitley, Whitley, Gen, we're, Aiden Mann, I've, Mann, Daniel Sinclair, Sinclair, ByteDance, There's, Trump, you've, Fletcher Furst, Furst, who've, Samuel, he'd, it's, Eric Han, Han, Dr, Ric Matthews, Matthews, Melissa Robinson, Brown, I'm, Jade Marie Eichelberger, Marie Eichelberger, Eichelberger, Chris Organizations: Service, Business, Chelsea, Washington Post, Trans, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wired, City , University of London, Intercept, Australian, American Academy of Pediatrics, TikTokers, TikTok, New York Times Locations: Florida, TikTok, COVID, New York, France, Tennessee, China, Musical.ly, Alberta, Canada, Oregon, South Carolina, Black

☆ These are the 38 biggest stars on TikTok, the viral video app teens can't get enough of
▼ + stars: | 2020-02-04 | by ( Paige Leskin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok is one of the most popular social platforms, particularly among Gen Z, where users can watch short-form video clips and create something that could go viral. These are the 38 most popular TikTok stars, who found fame on the platform and have since each racked up more than 10 million followers. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementTo teens, the most popular figures on social media platforms like TikTok are well beyond mega-celebrity status in their eyes. These are the 38 biggest stars on TikTok:

Persons: Gen, —, you've, TikTok, Lil Nas, Lisa, Lena, Hasnain Khan, Faisu, Cameron Dallas, Zach King, JoJo Siwa, Mackenzie, Maddie Ziegler Organizations: Service

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