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☆ Dating apps in 2024: A look at the state of Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and Match
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Rachel Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But dating apps, including Bumble, Grindr, Hinge and OkCupid, have cemented themselves as a fixture in American life: 2023’s downloads are more than twice the number of downloads in 2012, the year Tinder launched. This is the state of the dating app market, in four charts:Downloads are starting to fallThe popularity of dating apps has remained steady despite a slight decline in overall downloads in recent years. As many as three in 10 of all Americans say they’ve used a dating app, according to Pew. Tinder’s dominance is waningTinder has been the most commonly used dating app for Americans, a status it has held almost since it launched in 2012. Tinder is the largest app in Match Group’s US portfolio, which also includes Match, OKCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and 36 other dating app brands aimed at diverse communities.

Persons: CNN — Tinder, Gen, they’ve, ” Tomas Iriarte, Reyes, Tinder, Gen Z Young, who’d, Gen Z, Bumble, X, ”, Amelia Orlando Organizations: CNN, Pew Research Center, Pew, Tinder, Survey Center, American, American Enterprise Institute Locations: data.ai

☆ True Love. Is There a Hack for That?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Callie Holtermann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Something similar exists among those swiping for love on dating apps. In the past year, Ali Jackson, a 36-year-old dating coach in Brooklyn, has been struck by how many people have come to her asking about “hacks” they have seen online, which they believe will help them overcome barriers between their profiles and true love. These are not really tips for dating but for outmaneuvering dating apps. On TikTok and Reddit, users recommend deactivating and reactivating your account, rejecting a string of attractive profiles or temporarily switching your location to a different city. Each of these moves, proponents say, could scramble the app’s algorithm into offering the user better options.

Persons: “, Ali Jackson, ”, Lakshmi Rengarajan Organizations: Match Group Locations: Brooklyn

☆ TikTok Just Lost a Huge Catalog of Music. What Happened?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

TikTok users woke up Thursday and discovered that many videos using songs by stars like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Drake and Ariana Grande had gone silent, after a public brawl between TikTok and Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company. Here is a look at what happened and why, and some thoughts about what may come next. On Tuesday, Universal Music, the global giant that releases music by hundreds of major artists, published a forceful open letter to TikTok as the end of its contract with the social media platform neared. Universal said that TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, had not adequately addressed Universal’s concerns over A.I.-generated music on the platform, and that it would not agree to what Universal considered a satisfactory royalty rate. “Ultimately TikTok is trying to build a music-based business,” the label said, “without paying fair value for the music.”

Persons: Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Drake, Ariana Grande, TikTok, ” Organizations: Universal Music Group, Universal Music, Universal Locations: A.I

☆ She says she gave birth to a child after a Lyft driver raped her in 2019. Now she’s suing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Clare Duffy | Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Orlando, Florida CNN —A Florida woman sued Lyft earlier this month, alleging that she was raped by her Lyft driver in 2019 and that the assault resulted in the birth of her third child. Separately, at least a handful of Lyft drivers accused of sexual assault have been convicted in criminal cases. Genetic testing later confirmed with “99.9999999998%” certainty that the Lyft driver is the child’s father, according to the complaint. The Lyft driver rolled down the passenger side window, and Plaintiff confirmed the Lyft driver was there for her,” the complaint states. Lyft’s continuous criminal record monitoring began in April 2019, the month of Means’ alleged rape.

Persons: Lyft, Tabatha Means, “, Uber —, Uber, ” Lyft, ” Means, Means, she’d, ” Tabatha, John General, Deborah Brunswick, ” Rachel Abrams, Peiffer Wolf, ” Abrams, wouldn’t, … I’ve, ”, Abrams, ’ Organizations: Florida CNN, CNN, Court, ADT, Social, US, Department, RAINN Locations: Orlando, Florida, California

☆ Kids aren’t safe on social media, lawmakers say. Tech CEOs are back in DC this week to pledge (again) that they’ll handle it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Until now, the social platforms have largely had the same response: We’ll help teens and families make smart decisions themselves. But now, with growing claims that social media can hurt young users, including worries that it risks driving them to depression or even suicide, online safety advocates say that response falls far short. This month Meta announced a proposed blueprint for federal legislation calling for app stores, not social media companies, to verify users’ ages and enforce an age minimum. Safety action beyond CongressAs efforts to rein in tech platforms have ground to a standstill on Capitol Hill, much of the momentum for regulating social media has picked up outside the halls of Congress. Elsewhere, state-backed and consumer lawsuits against the companies are ramping up pressure to regulate tech platforms as the litigation reveals more about their inner workings.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, ”, Jeff Chester, TikTok, ’, Meta, ’ Instagram, Frances Haugen, Josh Golin, Zamaan Qureshi, Qureshi, Elon Musk, X, ” Golin Organizations: CNN, —, Center for Digital Democracy, Meta, Center, ” Locations: —, Arkansas , Louisiana , Ohio , Utah, Austin , Texas

Visa has taken over the title sponsorship of Red Bull's second team, which has been called Scuderia AlphaTauri since 2020 when Red Bull put its fashion label on its two junior cars. The team said Wednesday it will be called Visa Cash App RB F1 Team when Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda start the season. The team was known as Scuderia Toro Rosso — the Italian translation of Red Bull — from its 2006 debut season until 2020. Visa's deal with Red Bull is for three years, its senior vice president of global sponsorship strategy told The Associated Press. Visa becomes the third billion-dollar American company to join Red Bull as a sponsor in the last two years; Oracle is the title sponsor of the main two Red Bull cars, while Hard Rock International also launched a partnership.

Persons: Red, Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, Toro Rosso —, Bull, Andrea Fairchild, ” Fairchild, “, ”, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, there's, Catherine Ferdon, Cash Organizations: Visa, Formula, Red, Racing, Sauber, Red Bull's, Associated Press, F1 Academy, Red Bull, Oracle, Hard, American Express, Meta, “, NFL, F1, Brand Locations: United States, America

☆ Snapchat to let parents decide whether their teens can use the app’s AI chatbot
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Snapchat will now give parents the option to block their teens from interacting with the app’s “My AI” chatbot following some questions about the tool’s safety for young people. Thursday’s announcement is part of a broader set of additions to Snapchat’s parental oversight tool Family Center. The changes are just the latest updates to Family Center, which lets parents supervise the behavior of 13- to 17-year-old users. Snapchat will now let parents decide whether their teen can chat with the app's My AI chatbot. The platform is also aiming to make Family Center easier to find.

Persons: New York CNN — Snapchat, Snapchat, ”, Evan Spiegel, Spiegel Organizations: New, New York CNN, Family, Center, YouTube, Google, Meta Locations: New York

☆ TikTok is pushing longer videos. Some creators worry about the vibe shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-16 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But now, the short-form video pioneer is changing course and pushing users to make and consume longer videos. “I think TikTok is now [thinking], ‘We need to show [advertisers] that we can keep people staying on one video longer,’” Stein said. Consumers are also more likely to sit through a pre-roll ad for a video longer than one-minute than a video that’s nearly the same length as the ad itself. The company also says it recommends longer videos the same way it does shorter ones, based on user preferences rather than video length. She said that even when making relatively simple “storytime” videos, where she’s just sitting and talking to the camera, making videos longer than 1-minute means investing significant time and effort.

Persons: TikTok, — it’s, ”, Nikki Apostolou, ” TikTok, Zachary Kizer, Krysten Stein, “, ” Stein, Scott Kessler, ’ ” Kessler, TikTok —, Aly Tabizon, “ I’m, I’ve, ” Tabizon, it’s, Tabizon, Aly Tabizon TikTok, Laura Riegle, Riegle, she’s, ” Riegle, ” Apostolou Organizations: New, New York CNN, Facebook, YouTube, University of Illinois, CNN Locations: New York, University of Illinois Chicago, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany

☆ Uber announces partnership with London’s iconic black cab taxis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Once bitter rivals fighting for control of London’s streets, Uber and the British capital’s iconic black cab taxis are now teaming up. Uber on Tuesday announced a new partnership with London’s black cab taxis that will let cab drivers opt in to gain access to Uber trip referrals. Uber said the first London cab drivers have already signed up, and service will roll out early next year. Many Londoners, meanwhile, take unique pride in the city’s black cab taxi service. When Uber drivers arrived on the scene, however, drivers for the app could simply rely on the app’s navigation systems.

Persons: Uber, ”, Andrew Brem, ” Hameed Hameedi, Hameedi, ” Hameedi Organizations: CNN, Uber, cabbies, New York Locations: British, hackney, London, Paris , New York, Rome

Nearly two million posts with the hashtag #IsraeliNewNazism appeared on X in that period, and another 40,000 posts featured the hashtag #ZionistsAreEvil or #ZionistsAreNazis. In previous months, the hashtag appeared fewer than 5,000 times a month. Other sites, including TikTok and Facebook, have also experienced surges in hate speech but have removed the content that was flagged to them, researchers said. The hate speech that remained was often more veiled, such as a TikTok trend of using “Austrian painter” as code for Adolf Hitler. From Oct. 7 to Oct. 13, she added, TikTok took down 730,000 videos for violating hate speech rules.

Persons: IsraeliNewNazism, HitlerWasRight, —, LevelGaza, Memetica, ”, Adolf Hitler, TikTok, Pepe the, Noam Schwartz, “, Adi Cohen Organizations: Defamation League, Defamation, Facebook, Times, Palestinian, Nova, 4chan Locations: Austrian, Palestine, Israel, Florida, Gaza

☆ 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

Instead, they addressed terrorism and the Middle East conflict as well as domestic issues such as Social Security and abortion. On foreign policy, Haley offered an unapologetic and determined vision, saying America needs to stand by its ally Israel and support Ukraine. On Social Security, both Haley and Christie said the retirement age needed to be raised for younger workers, though neither would state a specific age. Christie also called for means-testing, saying rich people did not need Social Security as a safety net. "As governor of Florida, I know a few people on Social Security," DeSantis quipped.

Persons: Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Sen, Tim Scott of, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Haley, winnowed, Israel, Putin, Scott, DeSantis, Joe Biden, Christie, Trump, Ronna McDaniel, Dick Cheney, we've Organizations: GOP, Social Security, Former South Carolina Gov, Florida Gov, Former New Jersey Gov, Trump, Miami, Ukraine, Capitol, Senate, Republican Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Former, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Ramaswamy, America, New Jersey, Virginia , Kentucky, Ohio, Florida

☆ Mark Zuckerberg Taps the Strengths of WhatsApp
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Mike Isaac | More About Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion nearly a decade ago, Mark Zuckerberg made a promise: The Facebook chief said he wouldn’t meddle often with the messaging app so as not to mess with a good thing. Mr. Zuckerberg stuck to that philosophy as WhatsApp amassed more than two billion users globally — until 2019, when he began tapping the app’s growth and business potential. Now WhatsApp has become increasingly crucial to Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and other apps. Ads on WhatsApp and its sister messaging service, Messenger, are also growing so rapidly that they may reach $10 billion in revenue this year, the company recently said. “If you’re envisioning what will be the private social platform of the future, starting from scratch, I think it would basically look like WhatsApp,” Mr. Zuckerberg, 39, said in a recent interview.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, wouldn’t meddle, Zuckerberg, WhatsApp, Mr Organizations: Facebook, Meta

☆ Mark Zuckerberg ignored teen and user safety warnings from Meta executives
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The disclosures highlight Zuckerberg’s sway over decisions at Meta that can affect billions of users. And they also shed light on tensions that have occasionally arisen between Zuckerberg and other Meta officials who have pushed to enhance user well-being. In response to the newly unsealed communications, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said such image filters are commonly used in the industry. “These unreacted documents prove that Mark Zuckerberg is not interested in protecting anyone’s privacy or safety. “Clegg’s comments follow a pattern and practice at Meta where employees repeatedly flagged under-investment in well-being tools, despite having the research,” Qureshi said.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, —, Zuckerberg, Adam Mosseri, Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Karina Newton, Fidji Simo, Margaret Gould Stewart, Simo, Mosseri, Stewart, Newton, Andrew Bosworth, Andy Stone, ” Stone, “, Stone, Meta, Clegg, Frances, Instagram, Haugen, ” Zuckerberg, Susan Li, Li, David Ginsberg, Ginsburg, Li “, Arturo Bejar, Bejar, Instagram’s, ” Bejar, I’ve, ”, Sacha Haworth, Zamaan Qureshi, ” Qureshi Organizations: CNN —, Facebook, Global Affairs, Massachusetts, Meta, CNN, ” Tech, Technology, Tech Locations: Massachusetts, United States, Mosseri

☆ Elon Musk laid him off. Now he’s aiming to build a social network that’s better than X
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

They wanted it to be everything most social media struggles to be: positive, safe and inclusive. And as the user base of the platform now known as X splinters, so does Black Twitter, the community of Black users that was a big part of Twitter’s growth and culture. Legacy social media platforms have repeatedly failed to anticipate how their products might be manipulated or misused until something goes wrong. Alphonzo Terrell, co-founder of the social media app Spill, demonstrates how the platform works during an interview with CNN. CNNEven with AI content moderation models, other social media companies often fail to catch harmful content that makes it onto their platforms.

Persons: Alphonzo Terrell, he’d, Terrell – who’d, –, Elon Musk, Terrell, DeVaris Brown, “, ‘, ’ ” Terrell, who’s, Brown, Musk, ”, Maya Umemoto Gorman, …, ” Terrell, Brown —, Kenya Parham, weren’t, Elon, Maya Iman ‘, they’ve, “ That’s, Alphonzo Terrell “, Paul Barrett, they’d, it’s, — don’t, Jalaiah Harmon, Taylor Lorenz, Latoya Lee, ” Lee Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Elon, CNN, Spill, Washington Post, HBO, Showtime, YouTube, Intel, Cisco, Microsoft, NYU Stern Center for Business, Human, Apple, Kapor Center, Social, Mac Venture, Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime, VH1, Pew Research Center, New York Times, California State University Fullerton Locations: New York, Los Angeles, Kenya, Spill, Georgia

☆ Dating is hard. Have apps made it worse?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Dating on the apps, it’s ruined dating a bit,” Nguyen-Don, who works as a digital marketing manager, said. “The… design of those dating apps should definitely be held accountable for this kind of dating culture,” Zhou said. His experiences on dating apps were positive, he said, and he valued the ways they introduced him to new people and new experiences. Dating apps know this. For all their flaws, dating apps are unlikely to disappear any time soon.

Persons: Jenny Nguyen, Don, Nguyen, didn’t, WhatsApp, hadn’t, he’d, texted, ” Nguyen, “, Alexis Dougé, Tinder, ”, Dougé, who’s, Benson Zhou, Zhou, ” Zhou, Brian, they’ll, CNN he’s, Foyin Ogunrombi, Ogunrombi, she’s, —, Who’s, Silas Stein, “ It’s, ” Ogunrombi, David Argetsinger, Argetsinger, ” Alissa Wilson, ” Wilson, Maxine Simone Williams, WeMetIRL, ” Williams, Williams, Bumble Organizations: CNN, Twitter, New York University Shanghai Locations: London, TikTok, Atlanta, Johannesburg, South Africa, Everett , Washington, Arlington , Virginia, New York, cologne

☆ Tinder owner Match Group settles antitrust claims against Google’s app store
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Online dating giant Match Group has dropped a closely watched antitrust lawsuit against Google’s app store, the two companies said Tuesday, days before a trial set to begin in San Francisco federal court. The settlement between the search giant and the owner of sites such as Match, Tinder and Hinge resolves allegations that Google harmed competition through its app store terms. It permits Match Group to provide users alternative ways to pay for in-app content without requiring them to use Google’s proprietary payment channels. Developer complaints about high app store fees — charged by app store owners such as Google — have reached a fever pitch in recent years, along with related allegations about other restrictive app store terms. The outcome of the app store cases could shape the livelihoods of app developers and determine the flow of billions of dollars in economic activity.

Persons: Tim Sweeney, ” Sweeney, ” Organizations: DC CNN —, Google, Epic Games, Apple, Supreme, Match Locations: Washington, San Francisco federal

☆ Messaging app Telegram blocks access to Hamas-run channels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The messaging app Telegram has restricted access to several channels closely associated with or operated by Hamas, as the militant group’s war with Israel rages on. The restrictions mark a significant clampdown on a major source of pro-Hamas propaganda since the Israel-Hamas war began, one that Telegram’s error messages suggest may be driven by the app store operators’ policies. Other popular Telegram channels that have expressed support for Hamas have also been restricted, according to CNN’s analysis. That account is among those no longer accessible via Telegram apps downloaded from the Google Play or Apple App stores, CNN confirmed. An Apple spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s questions about the Telegram channels now blocked for iOS users.

Persons: Israel, —, ”, United States —, ” Google’s, didn’t, Brian Fishman, –, O’Sullivan, Paul Murphy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Hamas, Google, CNN, ” CNN, CNBC, Meta, Brigades, Apple, Capitol, Facebook, Twitter Locations: New York, Israel, Russian, United States, Dubai, Europe

☆ The Ivy League donor backlash is a PR nightmare, and that’s the point
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Donors understand as well as anyone that pulling their funds won’t inflict significant financial damage on Ivy League institutions, which boast huge endowments, my colleague Nathaniel Meyersohn reports. But he said that financial threats from donors were not the right solution to influencing universities’ positions on these issues. At 5 million subscribers paying $3.99 a month, Snapchat+ is set to earn around $239 million in annual revenue. Still, analysts are intrigued by Snap’s user growth, especially for a company that’s been around for over a decade. “In my view, there’s significant value for a company that’s growing its installed base at this level,” said Angelo Zino, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Nathaniel Meyersohn, Lee Gardner, ” Gardner, “, Indiana University’s, Lawrence Summers, ” Summers, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, Clare Duffy, it’s, we’ve, Clare, that’s, ”, Angelo Zino, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, CNN, Harvard, Ivy League, Higher Education, “ Ivy League, Indiana, Indiana University’s Lilly Family School, Philanthropy, “, US, Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, CFRA Research Locations: Israel, United States, China

“Our children are in crisis, and it is up to us to save them,” Hochul said, comparing social media algorithms to cigarettes and alcohol. Those who opt out would receive chronological feeds instead, like in the early days of social media. Federal lawmakers have introduced a similar bill that would ban kids under 13 from using social media altogether. And numerous lawsuits against social media platforms have accused the companies of harming users’ mental health. Mulgrew called the New York legislation necessary in part due to a lack of action by the federal government to protect kids.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Letitia James, Michael Mulgrew, Andrew Gounardes, Nily, “, ” Hochul, ” James, hasn’t, ”, TikTok, Mulgrew, ” Mulgrew Organizations: CNN, New York Gov, New York, United Federation of Teachers Manhattan, New, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tech, York Child Data, US Department of Health, Human Services, Social Media, Mental Health Locations: New York, States, Arkansas , Louisiana, Utah, York, United States

“This legislation will help tackle the risks of social media affecting our children and protect their privacy.”The regulations sought by James and Gov. The legislation in New York also follows actions taken by other U.S. states this year to curb social media use among children. In March, Utah became the first state to pass laws that require minors to get parental consent before using social media. The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to decide whether state attempts to regulate social media platforms violate the Constitution. The justices will review two laws from Florida and Texas that mostly aim to prevent social platforms from censoring users based on their viewpoints.

Persons: Letitia James, “, ” James, Kathy Hochul, Kathleen Spence, Spence, ” Spence, Antigone Davis, Meta’s, ”, Carl Szabo, NetChoice, James, TikTok, . Indiana, Maysoon Khan, Kelvin Chan Organizations: YouTube, James, New York Child Data, ”, European Union, Digital Services, General Data, EU, Regulators, The, Meta, TikTok, U.S, Supreme, Associated Press Locations: York, “ Young, Europe, California, New York, Utah, Arkansas, ., Florida, Texas, Albany, London

☆ TikTok Popularizes Products. Can It Sell Them, Too?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sapna Maheshwari | More About Sapna Maheshwari | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

TikTok has cemented itself as an essential advertising venue for brands aiming to reach its young users. But at the party, the marketers were abuzz about TikTok’s efforts to sell products from the app itself. The reason: After nearly a year of testing, speculation and some internal upheaval, TikTok this week is rolling out TikTok Shop for all users in the United States. Both enable users to buy products in a few clicks without leaving the app. But it is a venture that other popular social platforms, including Instagram, have not succeeded with in the United States.

Persons: TikTok, Gucci Organizations: New York Locations: New, United States

☆ TikTok Shop is now open for business
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —TikTok is officially kicking off its US e-commerce efforts with the launch of TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop allows users to find and directly purchase products used in live videos, tagged in content shown on their algorithm-driven For You page, pinned on brand profiles or marketed in a new “Shop” tab. TikTok Shop features unveiled by the company on Tuesday. TikTok Shop is already available throughout parts of Asia and the United Kingdom. TikTok Shop, as launched Tuesday, has been in testing since November.

Persons: New York CNN — TikTok, TikTok, Instagram, Alibaba’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bloomberg, Meta, Facebook, YouTube, Shopify, Amazon, Reuters, Momentum Works, Shopee’s, Works Locations: New York, United States, ”, Asia, United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, Sea’s, Indonesia, States, Europe, China

Currently, TikTok spokesperson Laura Perez said more than 200,000 sellers have registered for TikTok Shop. ByteDance, the Beijing company that owns TikTok, already runs a thriving social media marketplace on Douyin, its twin video app for the Chinese market. “No social app has really been able to master e-commerce in the U.S.,” said Jasmine Enberg, a social media analyst at Insider Intelligence. Critics have levied accusations that the social media giant could be a tool for China’s government to surveil Americans. The company said TikTok shop will offer a secure checkout process and that all of its U.S. user data is stored and managed by servers maintained by the software giant Oracle.

Persons: —, TikTok, Laura Perez, TikTok’s, Perez, hasn't, “, ”, Jasmine Enberg, “ TikTok, Enberg, OtterBox Organizations: TikTok, Meta, Intelligence, Insider Intelligence, Amazon, U.S, Oracle Locations: U.S, Beijing, Asia, China

☆ Snapchat is working to make its app even safer for teen users
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Snapchat says it’s working to make its app even safer for teen users. The company also launched a series of YouTube videos for parents about the features and an updated website laying out its teen safety and parental control policies. And since then, Snapchat — like other platforms — has rolled out a variety of new teen safety and parental supervision tools. The app’s other existing teen safety measures include prohibiting young users from having public profiles and having teens’ Snap Map location-sharing tool turned off by default. Snapchat will also impose a new strike system for accounts promoting content inappropriate for teens in its Stories and Spotlight sections, where users can share content publicly on the app.

Persons: New York CNN — Snapchat, Snap, Snapchat Organizations: New, New York CNN, YouTube Locations: New York

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