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☆ Exclusive: China's Bytedance is talking to likely buyers about gaming unit Moonton's sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shanghai-based Moonton, which has developed the popular mobile game “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang”, was acquired by ByteDance in 2021. At the time, it was seen as ByteDance’s biggest commitment to become a major player in the $187 billion global video games market. ByteDance's foray into video games has proven to be rocky so far. Founded in 2014, Moonton found success with multiplayer online battle arena game "Mobile Legends". Last year, ByteDance disbanded its Shanghai-based game development unit 101 Studio.

Persons: Aly, ByteDance, Moonton, Pico, Josh Ye, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, ByteDance, Companies, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, HONG KONG, Saudi, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong

☆ US to brief senators on foreign online influence focused on Israel, Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Smoke rises above Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration is holding a joint classified briefing for members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence and Commerce committees Wednesday on recent foreign online influence focused on Israel/Gaza and the Ukraine conflict. The bill was introduced by Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner and Republican John Thune and 24 other senators in March called the Restrict Act. Warner said some misinformation social media posts suggest the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas did not happen or were started by Israel. Republican Senator Jerry Moran, who backs the Restrict Act, told Reuters recent online misinformation "will be another impetus" to get Congress to act.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Joe Biden's, Mark Warner, Republican John Thune, Warner, Jerry Moran, Maria Cantwell, TikTok, Josh Hawley, Janet Yellen, Biden, David Shepardson, Diane Craft, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Senate Intelligence, National Intelligence, Biden, Senate Intelligence, Republican, Warner, Reuters, Senate, Guard, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, Congress

The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSTOCKHOLM/BRUSSELS, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O) on Wednesday appealed against "gatekeeper" designations for its Messenger and Marketplace platforms, the first Big Tech company to challenge new European Union rules setting out dos and don'ts for the online services. Meta's Facebook, Instagram, Marketplace, and WhatsApp qualified as gatekeepers under the DMA, which was designed to level the playing field between Big Tech companies and smaller competitors. "This appeal seeks clarification on specific points of law regarding the designations of Messenger and Marketplace under the DMA," a spokesman said. Microsoft and Google have said they will not challenge DMA designations, while sources expect TikTok to file a challenge.

Persons: Yves Herman, WhatsApp, Microsoft's Bing, Supantha Mukherjee, Yun Chee, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Big Tech, Union, Digital Markets, Facebook, European Commission, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights STOCKHOLM, BRUSSELS, Stockholm

☆ Fierce e-commerce war leaves Sea in stormy waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In August, CEO Forrest Li declared that Sea (SE.N) would ramp up spending to fight off intense competition. Perhaps that’s because Sea had just reset its strategy over the past year. It had retreated from overseas markets, slashed marketing costs and shed thousands of jobs to claw its way to profitability. Li on Tuesday stressed that the company would prioritise investments to increase its market share, encouraged by its cash pile of about $8 billion. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Forrest Li, Li, taints, Cameron, Francesco Guerrera, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Alibaba, HK, X, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, New York, Singapore

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday rejected efforts by major social media companies to dismiss nationwide litigation accusing them of illegally enticing and then addicting millions of children to their platforms, damaging their mental health. The decision covers hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of individual children who allegedly suffered negative physical, mental and emotional health effects from social media use including anxiety, depression, and occasionally suicide. "Today’s decision is a significant victory for the families that have been harmed by the dangers of social media," the plaintiffs' lead lawyers - Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren and Chris Seeger - said in a joint statement. More than 140 school districts have filed similar lawsuits against the industry that are also before Gonzalez, and 42 states plus the District of Columbia last month sued Meta for youth addiction to its social media platforms. She cited as an example allegations that companies could have used age-verification tools to warn parents when their children were online.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren, Chris Seeger, Gonzalez, Meta, Rogers, Jonathan Stempel, Nate Raymond, Chizu Nomiyama, Matthew Lewis, Alexia Garamfalvi, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, of Columbia, U.S, Communications, Thomson Locations: Oakland , California, New York, Boston

☆ Sea posts surprise loss on hefty e-commerce investments, shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Singapore-based Sea (SE.N) reported a surprise third-quarter loss as the Southeast Asian tech giant prioritized growth over profits by pouring money into its e-commerce business, sending its shares more than 17% lower on Tuesday. The company also expects to boost investments, it said, ahead of the key holiday shopping season in the fourth quarter. Sea has spent heavily in what is called "e-commerce live streaming", where products are sold over live videos, a model popular in China. The company posted a loss of 26 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, ending its streak of three straight profitable quarters. However, a global economic slowdown hit e-commerce and digital entertainment, forcing Sea to undertake hefty cost cuts including laying off thousands of employees.

Persons: Alibaba Group's, ByteDance's, Forrest Li, Chavi Mehta, Devika Organizations: HK, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, Bengaluru

☆ A country just banned TikTok because it disrupts 'social harmony' and 'family structure'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Authorities last week tightened control over all social media with new rules for users. AdvertisementThe government of Nepal banned TikTok over what it says it its damaging effect on Nepalese society. Content shared on the app was responsible for disturbing "social harmony, family structure and family relations," said Rekha Sharma, Nepal's minister for communications and information technology. The crackdown on TikTok in Nepal follows a series of tight controls on other social media platforms announced last week, per The Kathmandu Post. Social media companies must now register with the government, open an office, and pay taxes in Nepal.

Persons: —, Rekha Sharma, Sharma, Bytedance, TikTok Organizations: Authorities, Service, Social, New York Times, Business Locations: Nepal, India, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Taiwan, Kathmandu

[1/2] A sign is pictured outside a Google office near the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Paresh Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft and Google will not challenge an EU law requiring them to make it easier for users to move between competing services such as social media platforms and internet browsers. As part of its latest crackdown on Big Tech, the European Union in September picked 22 "gatekeeper" services, run by six of the world's biggest tech companies, to face new rules . The Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires these gatekeepers to inter-operate their messaging apps with competitors and allow users to decide which apps they pre-install on their devices. The DMA will apply to services from Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Amazon (AMZN.O), Apple (AAPL.O), Meta (META.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O) and TikTok owner ByteDance.

Persons: Paresh Dave, ByteDance, Meta, WhatsApp, TikTok, Foo Yun Chee, Supantha Mukherjee, Sharon Singleton, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, Google, Big Tech, European Union, Markets, Apple, Amazon, Digital Services, European Commission, Digital Markets, Windows, LinkedIn, Industry, Reuters, Facebook, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Mountain View , California, U.S, BRUSSELS, STOCKHOLM, Luxembourg, Brussels, Stockholm

☆ Nepal bans TikTok because of ‘disruption’ to social harmony
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Sugam Pokharel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London/Hong Kong CNN —Nepal has decided to ban TikTok because the popular short video app was disrupting social structures in the South Asian nation, government officials say. “Considering how TikTok is disrupting our social harmony, and the impact it’s having on our family and social structures, the cabinet has decided to ban TikTok for the moment,” Rekha Sharma, Nepal’s minister of communication and information technology, told a press conference on Monday. Purushottam Khanal, chair of the Telecommunications Authority, has asked internet service providers to cut access to the app, the country’s state-run Nepal Television said in a Monday report. In February, the White House told federal agencies that they had 30 days to remove TikTok from all government-issued devices. Australia announced in April that the app would have to be removed from federal government devices.

Persons: ” Rekha Sharma, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, ”, Purushottam Khanal, TikTok Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Monday, CNN, Telecommunications Authority, Nepal, WorldLink Communications, Reuters, —, New Zealand, White House, Australia Locations: Hong Kong, Nepal, India, Bhaktapur, United States, — Australia, Britain, Canada, New

☆ Meta's Instagram and Facebook are growing faster than TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

During the third quarter, the Facebook app's daily active users grew by 1.5% and monthly active users grew by 1.8%, according to data from Apptopia. Instagram's daily users grew by 1.5% and monthly users grew by 1.6%. In its quarterly report , Meta said Facebook's total number of daily users, including web users, grew by 5%, while monthly users grew by 3%. There is one metric where TikTok still has Facebook and Instagram beat: how long the average user spends on the app. Instagram's average user spends 58 minutes a day on the app, while the average Facebook user spends about 45 minutes.

Persons: TikTok, Mark Zuckerberg, China's Bytedance, Evercore, Meta, Instagram, Adam Mosseri, Zuckerberg, Kali Hays Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Evercore, Twitter Locations: Apptopia, Instagram, SensorTower, TikTok, khays@insider.com, @hayskali

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - TikTok has been holding talks with Indonesian e-commerce companies about possible partnerships, an Indonesian minister said on Monday, a month after Southeast Asia's largest economy banned online shopping on social media platforms. "Some e-commerce companies in Indonesia have talked to TikTok," he said in an interview, citing what the companies' executives told him. It was a particular blow to TikTok, which was forced to close its e-commerce service TikTok Shop. A TikTok Indonesia spokesperson was not available to comment. Until it stopped operations, TikTok Shop was delivering about 3 million parcels a day in Indonesia, sources have said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Teten Masduki, TikTok, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Blibli, Joko Widodo, Shou Zi Chew, Teten, Indonesia's, SEA's, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Indonesian, GoTo's, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Google, Temasek Holdings, Bain & Co, HK, Lazada, Thomson Locations: Rights JAKARTA, Indonesian, Indonesia, Southeast, Singapore

☆ Meta strikes deal with Tencent to sell VR headset in China - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The preliminary deal will make Tencent the exclusive seller of the headset in China and the videogame maker will start its sale in late 2024, the Journal said, citing soucres. It also gives Meta a chance to return to China after 14 years and compete with TikTok-owner Bytedance, which makes the VR headset Pico. Meta sells Quest 2 headset in the United States at a starting price of $300 and Quest Pro headsets at $1,000. For China, Meta is planning to use lenses in the headset that are cheaper than those in the Quest 3, according to Journal report. The headset is priced more than three times Meta's most expensive Quest headset and is aimed at enthusiasts.

Persons: Yves Herman, Bytedance, Tencent, Biden, Shubham Kalia, Yuvraj Malik, Sonia Cheema, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Tencent Holdings, HK, Facebook, Wall Street, TikTok, Pico, Meta, Quest, Twitter, IDC, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, China, United States, Beijing, Xinjiang, Bengaluru

☆ Meta’s China quest thaws thin layer of dense cube
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Anita Ramaswamy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In August, the United States banned domestic companies from making some new investments in Chinese tech, including computer chips and artificial intelligence systems. Chinese-based ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, counts the United States as its largest market. Selling virtual reality hardware primarily used for gaming is also an easier way of entering China. CONTEXT NEWSMeta Platforms struck a preliminary deal to sell virtual reality headsets in China through an exclusive partnership with Tencent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Nov. 9. China banned Meta’s Facebook platform from the country in 2009 and subsequently banned its WhatsApp and Instagram services as well.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Susan Li, Joe Biden, China’s Xi, Biden, Meta’s, Meta, ByteDance’s, Apple’s, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Meta, REUTERS, Reuters, HK, Wall Street, Facebook, United, Huawei, Companies, Republican, Tencent, Google, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Menlo Park , California, U.S, China, Beijing, Washington, United States, San Francisco, Texas, Florida, Montana

☆ Apple to file challenge over Digital Markets Act in EU court - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Apple Inc. logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 16, 2019. Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment, while the EU declined to comment. Even with the potential appeal, Apple will still be required to comply with the rules from March. Apple said in a filing this month it expects to make changes to the App Store as a result of the bloc's new rules. Reporting by Chandni Shah and Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Segar, Apple, Chandni Shah, Yuvraj Malik, Anil D'Silva, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, REUTERS, Bloomberg, Markets, EU Commission, Google, Digital Services, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, EU's, Bengaluru

☆ Fireworks Ignite as Candidates Haley, Ramaswamy Debate TikTok, China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fireworks Ignite as Candidates Haley, Ramaswamy Debate TikTok, ChinaGOP candidates Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy traded barbs in response to a question about what they would do to combat concerns over TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance. Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters

Persons: Haley, Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Segar Organizations: ByteDance, Reuters Locations: China

☆ China's e-commerce platforms not doing enough on climate -Greenpeace
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of e-commerce app Pinduoduo is displayed next to mobile phones displaying the app, in this illustration picture taken October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSINGAPORE, Nov 9 (Reuters) - China's top e-commerce platforms have made insufficient effort to steer consumers onto a more sustainable path that would help protect the environment and combat climate change, environment group Greenpeace said on Thursday. "But overall, China's e-commerce giants still don't do enough to leverage their platforms towards sustainability." In a report ranking the environmental record of six of China's e-commerce giants, Greenpeace said the discount online shopping platform Pinduoduo (PDD.O) performed the worst, making "no progress whatsoever" on climate and environmental protection. Pinduoduo was given a negative score on Greenpeace's list after failing to draw up strategies on issues like climate change, waste, dangerous chemicals and biodiversity.

Persons: Florence Lo, Tang Damin, Pinduoduo, Douyin, Bytedance, Alibaba, David Stanway, Sophie Yu, Josh Ye, Casey Hall, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Greenpeace, HK, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Beijing

☆ A GOP debate question about banning TikTok turned nasty, with Nikki Haley saying Vivek Ramaswamy is 'just scum'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Sarah Gray | Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Things got particularly heated between Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy on the topic of TikTok. But a question about TikTok caused a flareup between former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. “Leave my daughter out of your voice ... You’re just scum.”— Nikki Haley hits Vivek Ramaswamy after he brings up the fact that her daughter, like him, uses TikTok. The calls have persisted during the Biden administration, which has supported a bipartisan bill that could ban TikTok nationwide. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn May, Montana became the first state to pass legislation to ban TikTok.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, —, Hugh Hewitt, Haley, muttered, — Nikki Haley, Trump, TikTok, Biden, Washington isn't, Z Organizations: GOP, Service, Oracle, Walmart, Google Locations: Miami, China, Montana, Ohio, New Jersey, Washington

☆ YouTube, TikTok must detail child protection measures by Nov 30, EU says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A 3D printed Youtube and Tik Tok logo are seen placed on keyboard in this illustration taken, September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube and TikTok have been given a Nov. 30 deadline by the European Union to reply to an information request on how they protect children from illegal and harmful content, the European Commission said on Thursday. Google and TikTok did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The information request comes days after Breton told TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew to spare no effort to counter disinformation on its platform, owned by China's ByteDance. "Based on the assessment of the replies, the Commission will assess next steps", the Commission said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Thierry Breton, Breton, Shou Zi Chew, China's ByteDance, Sundar Pichai, Tassilo Hummel, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, YouTube, European Union, European Commission, Big Tech, Digital Services, Google, Reuters, Wednesday, TikTok, DSA, Thomson Locations: Rights BRUSSELS, Breton

TikTok is back in the cross hairs of Washington, with Republican lawmakers again calling to ban the popular short-form video app amid accusations that it is amplifying pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel videos through its powerful algorithmic feed. In the past week, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, asked the Biden administration to outlaw TikTok for its “ubiquity” of anti-Israel content. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida accused Beijing officials of using TikTok, whose parent company is based in China, to spread propaganda to Americans. ByteDance, which owns TikTok, has for years refuted claims that it poses a privacy or security risks. It has also said in recent weeks that the app does not disproportionately promote pro-Palestinian content.

Persons: TikTok, Josh Hawley, Biden, Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin, Marco Rubio, ” Mr, Rubio Organizations: Republican, America, Hamas Locations: Washington, Israel, Josh Hawley of Missouri, sympathizing, Florida, Beijing, China, “, United States

☆ TikTok owner ByteDance offers employees buyback option at higher price to boost confidence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese technology giant ByteDance is offering to buy back stock options from employees at a higher price than earlier this year, in a bid to boost motivation and inject confidence among employees after a challenging year. RSUs or options are an instrument employees can purchase, which convert into actual shares if the company goes public or gets acquired. A ByteDance spokesperson confirmed the plan to CNBC and said the company aims to provide liquidity of its RSUs and options to motivate employees through buyback programs. ByteDance is not public. It is also a way for early employees who may have purchased stock options at a cheaper price to make some return on their investment.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, ByteDance Organizations: Wednesday, CNBC, ByteDance, TikTok Locations: U.S

The price valued the company at $223.5 billion, about 26% lower than a valuation a year earlier, the Reuters report said. Last year, ByteDance was valued at $300 billion in a buyback program offered to its non-U.S. employees. The latest $160 price is higher than the $155 price set in an earlier April buyback, the person added. A ByteDance spokesperson confirmed the share buyback plan for employees outside the U.S., saying it aimed to provide liquidity options for staff through such programs. Buybacks allow employees to cash in shares without waiting for the company to list on the stock market.

Persons: Aly, ByteDance, Brenda Goh, Josh YE, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, United States, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ China's ByteDance to overhaul VR arm Pico as global demand declines -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The ByteDance logo is seen at the company's office in Shanghai, China July 4, 2023. The meeting did not specify how many jobs would be cut as a result, but the three people said "hundreds" of Pico staff were expected to be affected globally. In China, it has become the leading VR producer by total shipments and globally it trails only Meta. But two of the people said ByteDance had pared back efforts to develop Pico as a brand in recent months as the outlook dimmed. ByteDance said last month it remained committed to the VR industry in the long term following media reports that it planned to gradually wind down Pico.

Persons: Aly, Pico, ByteDance, Josh Ye, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Pico, Reuters, VR, Meta, IDC, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Pico, HONG KONG

☆ Coinbase strengthens its global advisory council
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Smartphone with displayed Coinbase logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 7 (Reuters) - Coinbase (COIN.O) said on Tuesday it had added four national security experts to its global advisory council as the cryptocurrency industry comes under intense regulatory scrutiny following the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX. Mark Esper, Stephanie Murphy, Frances Townsend and David Urban are joining the council, which advises the company's executive leadership team. Esper is a former U.S. defense secretary and Murphy is a former national security specialist for the defense department. Coinbase said the new additions will help its council examine the consequences of regulatory uncertainty for crypto in the United States, including long-term economic and national security impacts.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sam Bankman, FTX, Mark Esper, Stephanie Murphy, Frances Townsend, David Urban, Murphy, Townsend, George W, Bush, Coinbase, Arasu Kannagi Basil, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Counterterrorism, Homeland Security, Urban, BRG Group, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Google contractors who helped train the Bard AI chatbot vote to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Caroline Haskins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementGoogle contractors with Accenture, who write Google Help articles and review AI-generated content from the Bard chatbot, voted on Monday to unionize with the Alphabet Workers Union, which represents Google employees and contractors. The vote comes after a coalition of 118 Accenture workers announced their union in June. Google is currently appealing the NLRB's September ruling that it is joint employer of Accenture contractors. Accenture contractors worked on BardGoogle rushed its release of Bard in an effort to make a product to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Other Google contractors have unionizedMonday's vote marks the second time this year that contractors for Google successfully voted to unionize with the NLRB.

Persons: Cognizant, —, Bard chatbot, Monday's, Bard, Organizers, Jen Hill, Courtenay Mencini, Bard Google, OpenAI's, Hill, Laura Greene, Greene, OpenAI Organizations: Accenture, Service, Alphabet Workers Union, Google, National Labor Relations, Alphabet Workers, Bloomberg, Workers, . Workers, Meta Locations: Manila

Companies TikTok FollowBRUSSELS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - TikTok must "spare no effort" to counter the spread of disinformation on the short video sharing app, EU industry chief Thierry Breton told the company's CEO on Monday, as the European Union steps up its efforts to curb the powers of Big Tech. "My services and I are now investigating whether this is enough to ensure compliance with the DSA (Digital Services Act)," Breton told Reuters in written comments after a video call with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. "Because now more than ever, we must spare no effort to protect our citizens – especially children and teenagers – against illegal content and disinformation," he said. TikTok Public Policy Director Caroline Greer said in a post on social media platform X that the company was pleased that Breton recognised its compliance efforts. The DSA requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful online content on their platforms.

Persons: Thierry Breton, China's ByteDance, Breton, Shou Zi Chew, Caroline Greer, Chew, Vera Jourova, Didier Ryenders, Foo Yun Chee, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Big Tech, DSA, Services, Reuters, Big, EU, Values, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, European, Breton, Big Tech, Brussels

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