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☆ Biden administration demands TikTok’s Chinese owners spin off their share or face US ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok from the United States unless the app’s Chinese owners agree to spin off their share of the social media platform, TikTok acknowledged Wednesday evening. “If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn’t solve the problem,” TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said in a statement. But so far, there has been no evidence that the Chinese government has actually accessed TikTok user data, and no government has enacted a broader ban targeting TikTok on personal devices. TikTok has sought to address policymakers’ concerns with voluntary technical and bureaucratic safeguards that it says will help ensure US user data may only be accessed by US employees. Part of that initiative, which the company calls Project Texas, involves storing personal data with the US cloud giant Oracle.

Bills to block the app on state devices in California, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont have also been proposed. University of IdahoSchool’s policy: TikTok must be removed from university equipment "regardless of funding source," according to the school's help page. South Dakota University SystemSchool’s policy: The South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs six universities including Black Hills State University, University of South Dakota, Northern State University, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines, told employees they could not use, download or access TikTok on university devices. University of Texas — AustinSchool’s policy: On Dec. 16, university officials announced that TikTok would be banned on state-issued devices. Texas Tech UniversitySchool’s policy: University employees are prohibited from using TikTok on school-issued devices and official university TikTok accounts must be deactivated.

☆ Why experts worry TikTok could add to mental health crisis among US teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok is far from the only social platform to be scrutinized by lawmakers and mental health experts for its impact on teens. That’s problematic because the more time a teen spends on social media, the more likely he or she is to be depressed. Psychologists say as smartphones and social media grew around 2012, so did the rate of depression among teens. But teens say it’s not the most egregious videos that keep them engaged. The majority of teens say social media can be a space for connection and creativity, according to Pew Research.

☆ TikTok is ‘digital fentanyl,’ incoming GOP China committee chair says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Andrew Millman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —TikTok is an addictive drug China’s government is providing to Americans, says the incoming chairman of a new House select committee on China. TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese-owned, has been banned from electronic devices managed by the US House of Representatives, according to an internal notice sent to House staff. The move comes after more than a dozen states in recent weeks have implemented their own prohibitions against TikTok on government devices. “We have to ask whether we want the CCP to control what’s on the cusp of becoming the most powerful media company in America,” he told NBC. Security experts have said that the data could allow China to identify intelligence opportunities or to seek to influence Americans through disinformation campaigns.

☆ Biden signs TikTok ban for government devices amid security concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

President Joe Biden approved a limited TikTok ban Thursday when he signed the 4,126-page spending bill into law. The ban prohibits the use of TikTok by the federal government’s nearly 4 million employees on devices owned by its agencies, with limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security and security research purposes. Since 2020, a bubbling movement led largely by conservatives has maintained a minor interest in a TikTok ban. “We’re disappointed that Congress has moved to ban TikTok on government devices — a political gesture that will do nothing to advance national security interests — rather than encouraging the Administration to conclude its national security review,” the company said in a statement. It added that the proposed security agreement with the Biden administration would address the security concerns of lawmakers and regulators.

☆ US House bans TikTok from official devices
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —TikTok has been banned from electronic devices managed by the US House of Representatives, according to an internal notice sent to House staff. The move comes after more than a dozen states in recent weeks have implemented their own prohibitions against TikTok on government devices. TikTok has previously called efforts to ban the app from government devices “a political gesture that will do nothing to advance national security interests.” TikTok declined to comment on the House restrictions. There is no evidence that that has actually occurred, though the company last week confirmed that it fired four employees who improperly accessed the TikTok user data of two journalists on the platform. Since 2020, TikTok has been negotiating with the US government on a potential deal to resolve the national security concerns and allow the app to remain available to US users.

☆ Some universities are now restricting TikTok access on campus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A small but growing number of universities are now blocking access to TikTok on school-owned devices or WiFi networks, in the latest sign of a widening crackdown on the popular short-form video app. The 26 universities and colleges in the University System of Georgia are also reportedly taking a similar step. Auburn University in Alabama started restricting access to TikTok on school-owned devices or Wi-Fi networks last week, in accordance with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s recent executive order for state-owned networks and devices to block access to and from the TikTok social media application. But an Auburn University spokesperson told CNN the decision is “not a ban on campus.” TikTok users will still be able to access the app on personal devices via their own mobile data.

☆ TikTok confirms that journalists’ data was accessed by employees of its parent company
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —TikTok parent company ByteDance has fired four employees who improperly accessed the personal data of two journalists on the platform, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter confirmed to CNN Thursday. TikTok user data from the two journalists, who worked for the Financial Times and BuzzFeed, was accessed while ByteDance employees were investigating potential employee leaks to the press, according to the company. “The individuals involved misused their authority to obtain access to TikTok user data,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in his email to employees, according to an excerpt of the email reviewed by CNN. In October, Forbes reported that ByteDance planned to use TikTok data to surveil certain US citizens. It has also said it has taken steps to isolate US user data from other parts of its business, including through a partnership with US-based Oracle.

☆ TikTok is removing some of the mystery behind how it recommends videos to users
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If you’ve ever wondered why TikTok suggested a certain video in your feed, you may start to get a little more clarity. TikTok on Tuesday said it is beginning to roll out a new feature to add more context about how the platform’s algorithms recommend videos in your “For You” feed. But TikTok said that it has plans to build up this feature with more details in the future. “Looking ahead, we’ll continue to expand this feature to bring more granularity and transparency to content recommendations,” the company said in a blog post. TikTok has also taken steps to isolate US user data from other parts of its business.

☆ Movement to ban TikTok: What midterms could mean for future of app
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The effort to ban TikTok is back, and it could gain more strength after the midterm elections. Alex Brandon / AP fileExperts said there’s a steep hill to climb for those who want a total TikTok ban, but the midterms could provide a push. The renewed push for a TikTok ban or forced sale is taking place while the company is in negotiations with the Biden administration on a potential written security agreement. TikTok says it believes the agreement would address not only privacy concerns but how the app moderates content. Rubio is co-sponsoring legislation to ban TikTok from all U.S. government devices.

Some young women are changing the way they talk about food and their body image after seeing the discussion surrounding so-called almond moms on TikTok. The term “almond mom” began trending on TikTok last month after a 2014 clip of former “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member Yolanda Hadid went viral. Koemptgen, 25, recently posted a video showing off the “almond mom” snacks at her mom’s house. Carla A. Pfeffer, an associate professor in the school of social work at Michigan State University, said some of the criticism of “almond moms” is rooted in misogyny and a culture that places the burden of childcare almost exclusively on women. She called “almond moms” a scapegoat of diet culture, but not the cause.

☆ Copycatting lawsuits hit new media as TikTok creators, game designers and Instagrammers are sued
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Alexandra Peers | Cnn Business | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A series of hot-button lawsuits have linked all those unlikely creators and platforms in litigation that goes as high as the US Supreme Court. The litigation deals with issues of intellectual property, copyright infringement and fair use in a rapidly changing new-media landscape. She won, but not much: $3,750, because the court ruled that, though her copyright had been violated, her tattoos didn’t impact game profits. It was a huge hit on TikTok, in part because the duo invited feedback and participation, making it a crowd-sourced artwork. But when the creators took their show on the road and sold tickets, Netflix sued.

☆ Dixie D'Amelio says she's been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Liz Calvario | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

After dealing with health issues for “the past seven years,” TikToker Dixie D’Amelio shared in an Instagram live that she has been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. I wasn’t feeling great and not really sure why,” D’Amelio, 21, said in a livestream originally posted on her Instagram and shared widely on TikTok. “I’m feeling better now and I will probably be going through the same thing next month and the month after that,” D’Amelio said, adding that she’s learning more about the disorder. The second season of “The D’Amelio Show” premiered last month on Hulu, with new episodes airing on Wednesdays. As D’Amelio noted, fans may be able to see her experience with the disorder in the coming episodes.

Floridians are giving TikTok users a front-row seat to Hurricane Ian. Dozens of TikTok users in Florida used TikTok’s livestream feature on Wednesday to offer a window into their lives as the hurricane approached. Some comments trickling in sent the woman prayers, while others predicted her “house will disappear.” TikTok didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the hurricane livestreams. TikTok introduced its livestream feature in 2019, and it has since become a popular way of creating content on the app. TikTok’s livestreaming feature has been used for fun but also to share breaking news, such as when Russia invaded Ukraine.

☆ The internet can’t stop talking about Andrew Tate
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-16 | by ( Morgan Sung | Morgan Sung Is A Trends Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

TikTok videos tagged #AndrewTate have been viewed 12.7 billion times, according to the company’s hashtag page. But even that attention builds online momentum for Tate as a flashpoint in modern internet culture, one that some creators are refusing to encourage. “I’m getting a lot of hate and my family is at risk.”In the video, which was an episode of the “Tate Speech” podcast, Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, responded to accusations of sexism and misogyny. “Pizzagate” conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich describes Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, as his “friends.” Tristan Tate, who co-hosts the podcast “Tate Speech” with Andrew Tate, espouses views similar to those of his brother. As paying subscribers flooded TikTok with videos of Tate, popular creators scrambled to confront him over his misogynistic statements.

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