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The Michelin Guide added 17 food stalls and two restaurants in Singapore to its Bib Gourmand list this week. In total, 79 dining establishments in the city-state were named to the list, an increase from 67 last year. The Bib Gourmand category recognizes inexpensive dining establishments, which are selected by anonymous inspectors, according to a company press release. Three more stalls are in Adam Food Center — Adam Rd Noo Cheng Big Prawn Noodle, Bahrakath Mutton Soup and Selamat Datang Warong Pak Sapari, which is known for its Malay noodle dishes, according to Michelin. The complete selection of Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore will be announced on June 27 at an awards ceremony.

Persons: Kok Sen, nasi lemak, Du Du Shou Shi, Heng Kee, De, Heng, Fried, Huat, Chun, Wei Chilli Ban, Cheok Kee, Adam, Noo Organizations: Michelin, Coconut, Geylang Bahru Market, Food Center, Adam Food Locations: Singapore, Geylang

JAKARTA, June 15 (Reuters) - Short video app TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, said on Thursday it would invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia over the next few years, as it doubles down on the region amid intensifying global scrutiny over its data security. Southeast Asia, a region with a collective population of 630 million - half of them under 30 - is one of TikTok's biggest markets in terms of user numbers. "We're going to invest billions of dollars in Indonesia and Southeast Asia over the next few years," TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said at a forum it organised in Jakarta to highlight the social and economic impact of the app in the region. Chew said TikTok has 8,000 employees in Southeast Asia, and 2 million small vendors selling their wares on its platform in Indonesia, the region's biggest economy. The app has not faced major bans on government devices in Southeast Asia, but it has been under scrutiny over its content.

Persons: China's ByteDance, Shou Zi Chew, Chew, TikTok, Stanley Widanto, Miyoung Kim, Christopher Cushing, Jamie Freed Organizations: HK, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Southeast Asia, Sea's, Indonesia, Jakarta, Beijing, Britain, New Zealand, Vietnam

☆ As China's intelligence capabilities grow, spying becomes an increasing flashpoint in ties with US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

They underscore how intelligence gathering – an activity meant to go on without detection, out of the public eye – is becoming an increasingly prominent flashpoint in the US-China relationship. That pushes intelligence gathering itself to become “another factor that is complicating US-China relations,” he said. That’s especially the case, experts say, as China continues to expand its own intelligence gathering capabilities – catching up in an area where the US has traditionally had an edge. Other arms of the Communist Party apparatus also play a role in activities beyond conventional intelligence gathering, experts say. Heightened concern and awareness about Chinese intelligence gathering – or the potential for it – has exploded in the US in recent years.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Bill Burns, ”, Lyle Morris, Christopher Johnson, “, there’s, they’ve, Johnson, Xi Jinping, That’s, Xuezhi Guo, Guo, Xi, Hector Retamal, –, TikTok –, Edward Snowden, ’, Shou Zi Chew, Jabin, John Delury, John T, Downey, Delury Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US, White House, CIA, CNN, Asia Society, Center for, Central Intelligence Agency, China, Group, U.S . Navy, AP, Guilford College, People’s Liberation Army, Ministry of State Security, Communist Party, Federal Bureau of Intelligence, The New York Times, Huawei, TikTok, Tiktok, US Justice Department, China Initiative, Center for Strategic, International Studies, National Security Agency, US Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, China ”, Energy, Commerce, Capitol, Washington Post, Subversion Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, Beijing, American, Cuba, US, Center for China, South, Russia, AFP, Washington, USA, South China, Washington , DC

☆ TikTok to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia amid growing scrutiny over data security
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Short video app TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, said on Thursday it would invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia over the next few years, as it doubles down on the region amid intensifying global scrutiny over its data security. TikTok did not provide a detailed breakdown of the spending plan but said it would invest in training, advertising and supporting small vendors looking to join its e-commerce platform TikTok Shop. TikTok has 8,000 employees in Southeast Asia and 2 million small vendors selling their wares on its platform in Indonesia, the region’s biggest economy, he added. E-commerce transactions across the region reached nearly $100 billion last year, with Indonesia accounting for $52 billion, according to data from consultancy Momentum Works. The app has not faced major bans on government devices in Southeast Asia, but it has been under scrutiny over its content.

Persons: China’s ByteDance, Alibaba’s, “ We’re, ”, Shou Zi Chew, Chew, TikTok, Matt McClain Organizations: Momentum Works, Shopee’s, Washington Post Locations: Southeast Asia, Sea’s, Indonesia, Jakarta, TikTok, Washington ,, Beijing, Britain, New Zealand, Vietnam

☆ TikTok to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Short video app TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, said on Thursday it would invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia over the next few years, as it doubles down on the region amid intensifying global scrutiny over its data security. Southeast Asia, a region with a collective population of 630 million — half of them under 30 — is one of TikTok's biggest markets in terms of user numbers. "We're going to invest billions of dollars in Indonesia and Southeast Asia over the next few years," TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said at a forum it organised in Jakarta to highlight the social and economic impact of the app in the region. TikTok did not provide a detailed breakdown of the spending plan, but said it would invest in training, advertising and supporting small vendors looking to join its e-commerce platform TikTok Shop. Chew said content on its platform was becoming more diversified as it adds more users and expands beyond advertising into e-commerce, allowing consumers to purchase goods through links on the app during livestreaming.

Persons: China's ByteDance, Alibaba's, Shou Zi Chew, Chew Locations: Southeast Asia, Sea's, Indonesia, Jakarta, TikTok

☆ TikTok made their businesses popular and lucrative, and now they fear a ban: 'I'll be screwed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Daniella Jimenez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

She also posts TikTok videos about the process. The acrimony could potentially lead to a nationwide prohibition of TikTok, following a Montana statewide ban signed into law last month. There's no publicly known evidence of the Chinese government requesting data from TikTok, or TikTok providing it. The state's governor, Greg Gianforte, signed a bill last month that will prohibit Google and Apple's app stores from offering the TikTok app, starting in January 2024. The app disputed Montana's claim that TikTok is used for surveillance, saying the state has "nothing to support these allegations."

Persons: Emily Swift, Swift, Shou Zi Chew, you've, TikTok, Chew, Aram Sinnreich, Greg Gianforte, Taylor Reed, Reed Organizations: U.S, CNBC, Communication, Tech, Google Locations: Connecticut, —, U.S, Beijing, Montana, Kalispell , Montana

☆ Analysis: There is now some public evidence that China viewed TikTok data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Multiple security experts told CNN that this appears to be the first reported instance of the CCP accessing actual TikTok user data. TikTok announced its withdrawal from Hong Kong in 2020 after China imposed a national security law there. There have been isolated reports of improper access to TikTok data in the past. The improper access, company officials have said, was a misguided attempt at identifying the source of leaks to the press. TikTok has also said it is implementing a plan to store US user data on third-party US-based servers, with access to that data controlled by US employees.

Persons: Yintao Yu, Yu, ByteDance, —, ” Yu, ’, Yu’s, Flipagram, “, TikTok, James Lewis, John Scott, Rob Joyce, ” Joyce, ”, Shou Chew, Chew Organizations: CNN, Chinese Communist Party, Hong Kong, Wall Street, Flipagram, CCP, Center for Strategic, International Studies, University of Toronto’s, National Security Locations: TikTok’s Beijing, Hong Kong, California, Beijing, Hong, China

☆ Senators Say TikTok May Have Misled Congress on Handling of U.S. User Data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sapna Maheshwari | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two senators sent a letter to TikTok’s chief executive on Tuesday, accusing the company of making misleading claims to Congress around how it stores and handles American user data, and demanding answers to more than a dozen questions by the end of next week. The letter, from Senators Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, and Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, focused on how sensitive data about American users may be stored in China and how employees there may have access to it. The lawmakers said recent reports from The New York Times and Forbes raised questions about statements made during congressional testimony in March by Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, and in an October 2021 hearing involving Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. “We are deeply troubled by TikTok’s recurring pattern of providing misleading, inaccurate or false information to Congress and its users in the United States, including in response to us during oversight hearings and letters,” the senators wrote.

Persons: Richard Blumenthal, Marsha Blackburn, Forbes, Shou Chew, Michael Beckerman Organizations: Republican, The New York Times Locations: Connecticut, Tennessee, China, United States

☆ Former exec at TikTok's parent company says Communist Party members had a 'god credential' that let them access Americans' data
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Zen Soo | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Yintao Yu said Communist Party members accessed data on US users as well as protesters in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous region in China with its own government. Some American lawmakers have expressed concern that TikTok's ties to ByteDance means the data it holds is subject to Chinese law. It was also available in Hong Kong until TikTok pulled out of the market in 2020 following the imposition of a sweeping national security law. Anyone who tries to open TikTok from within Hong Kong will see a message that reads "We regret to inform you that we have discontinued operating TikTok in Hong Kong."

Persons: Yintao Yu, ByteDance, —, Yu, Charles Jung, Jung, Shou Zi Chew, Chew, TikTok Organizations: Communist Party, ByteDance, San Francisco Superior, British, Hong, Flipagram, Oracle, Chinese Communist Party, Communist Locations: Hong Kong, HONG KONG, U.S, China, Beijing

☆ Chinese apps remain hugely popular in the U.S. despite efforts to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

But while TikTok has been the one in the spotlight, other Chinese apps that present similar issues are also experiencing massive popularity in the U.S. Gorman said as the U.S. considers the threat posed by TikTok, it will also need to develop a framework for how to evaluate the relative risk of Chinese apps. But in the meantime, U.S. consumers continue to turn to Chinese apps. "And then of course, there's the early growth of Lemon8, which suggests that the appetite for Chinese apps in the U.S. is still growing." And some say the most effective long-term solution for curbing the use of Chinese apps may be fostering an environment for robust alternatives to grow.

☆ TikTok Shop, a rising threat to Shopee and Lazada in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesTikTok Shop is a rising threat to major e-commerce players such as Shopee and Lazada in Southeast Asia. TikTok Shop is the e-commerce marketplace of short video app TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance. In 2022, TikTok Shop expanded to six Southeast Asian countries — Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. TikTok is "focused on the continued development of TikTok Shop in Southeast Asia," said the spokesperson. To incentivize sellers to join the platform, TikTok Shop waived commission fees when it launched in Singapore in August.

Persons: TikTok, Shopee, Shawn Yang, Shop's, Sachin Mittal, Lazada's GMV, Jonathan Woo, Lazada, Shou Zi, Woo, bode Organizations: Blue Lotus Research Institute, Sea Group, DBS Bank, CNBC, Intelligence, Phillip Securities Research, TikTok, U.S, Merchants, SG, Phillip Securities Locations: Southeast Asia, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Southeast, GMV, U.S, Statista, Brazil, China, U.S ., Montana, Texas, Nomieo

☆ TikTok sues Montana to reverse state's ban of the app
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok has filed a federal lawsuit against Montana in response to a recently passed state law that would ban the popular video service in the state. The lawsuit, filed Monday in the United States District Court for the District of Montana, is intended to "prevent the state of Montana from unlawfully banning TikTok," lawyers for the app's parent company, ByteDance wrote. Last week, Montana became the first U.S. state to ban TikTok over allegations the Chinese government can use the app for intelligence-gathering operations. TikTok disputes Montana's allegations the Chinese government "could access data about TikTok users, and that TikTok exposes minors to harmful online content," the lawsuit said. With the lawsuit, TikTok hopes the court finds Montana's ban "unconstitutional and preempted by federal law."

Persons: TikTok, ByteDance, Greg Gianforte, Plaintiff, Shou Zi Chew, Banning, David Sacks Organizations: United States, Court, District of, Constitution, Apple, Montana Gov, Communist Party, Oracle, Craft Ventures Locations: Montana, District of Montana, U.S, United States, Texas

☆ Future wars are going to be catastrophic and robotic, and militaries have to 'come to grips' with that, former general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Mick Ryan, the author and a strategist, says militaries need to "come to grips" with what is coming. The scene comes from a new novel, "White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan," written by a former military officer. "That is especially the case when the ratio of humans to autonomous systems in militaries is going to flip," Ryan told Insider. "We are not at the point yet where robotic systems are able to match humans in decision making," Ryan said. And these autonomous systems will have many similar flaws. "

☆ EU's Breton: TikTok still a long way from EU rules compliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, May 19 (Reuters) - EU industry chief Thierry Breton said on Friday he had recently spoken with TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew and told him there was still a lot to do for the Chinese-owned social network in order to comply with EU rules. Various Western countries including Britain, the United States and several European Union member states have already restricted the use TikTok over security concerns. The EU last month singled out 19 large online platforms, including TikTok, which will be subject to the Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of new online content rules from August. The rules require the companies to do risk management, conduct external and independent auditing, share data with authorities and researchers and adopt a code of conduct. A few months ago, Breton had already urged TikTok to bring its business in line with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).

☆ Montana to become first US state to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban the Chinese-owned TikTok from operating in the state, making it the first U.S. state to ban the popular short video app. Montana will make it unlawful for Google and Apple's app stores to offer the TikTok app within its borders. TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, is facing growing calls from U.S. lawmakers and state officials to ban the app nationwide over concerns about potential Chinese government influence over the platform. TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, said in a statement the bill "infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by unlawfully banning TikTok," adding that they "will defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana." Montana, which has a population of just over 1 million people, said TikTok could face fines for each violation and additional fines $10,000 per day if they violate the ban.

☆ ‘Benefits outweigh the harm’: Worried about their livelihood, small business owners push back on potential TikTok ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A potential TikTok ban has raised concerns among small business owners on TikTok, who have found success and built sizable audiences without having to pay for marketing. When Aparna Singh first heard about a potential TikTok ban, she "immediately went into panic mode." Concerned about a potential ban of TikTok, small business owners told CNBC Make It why they think the short-video app should stay. Despite the security concerns, small business owners have expressed frustration over the possibilities of a complete ban. Let your followers know where they can find you if the ban is approved," Powers advised other small business owners on TikTok.

☆ Temu accused of data risks after sister app was suspended for malware
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty ImagesThe U.S. has accused discount shopping site Temu of possible data risks after its Chinese sister app was pulled from Google's app store over "malware" — but analysts say they're not that worried. Google called it an "identified malicious app" and urged users to uninstall the Pinduoduo app, but the Chinese online retailer denied those claims. Kevin Reed chief information security officer, Acronis"There should be no need for biometric data to be stored on an e-commerce website or app. Data risksIn a report on Chinese "fast fashion" platforms published in April, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission accused Temu and Shein of posing possible data risks. Shein and Temu "primarily rely on U.S. consumers downloading and using Chinese apps to curate and deliver products," said the report.

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Communist Party had “supreme access” to all data held by TikTok’s parent company Bytedance, including on servers in the United States, a former employer who is bringing a wrongful termination lawsuit has alleged. Yintao “Roger” Yu filed a lawsuit of wrongful termination against Bytedance in Superior Court in San Francisco earlier this month. Yu’s lawsuit alleges that the company made user data accessible to China’s Communist Party via a backdoor channel, no matter where the data was located. Yu worked for ByteDance Inc. for less than a year and his employment ended in July 2018,” which Yu disputed in his complaint. So the risk would be similar to any government going to an American company, asking for data,” Chew said at the hearing.

☆ Former ByteDance executive says he was dismissed for flagging illegal activity
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When Yu raised these concerns to higher management, he said they dismissed them and asked him to hide the illegal program, especially from employees in the United States, as it had stricter IP laws and class actions. He is seeking a court order that would prohibit ByteDance from scraping content from other social media platforms. In response to the complaint, ByteDance said, "We plan to vigorously oppose what we believe are baseless claims and allegations. ByteDance also responded to the scraping allegations, saying it acquired data in line with industry practice and its global policy. In April, Montana lawmakers passed a bill to ban its short-form TikTok app from operating in the state.

☆ Ex-ByteDance employee claims company stole content from competitors in earlier days
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —An ex-ByteDance employee claimed he was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns about what he believed were illegal practices by the company, such as allegedly stealing content from its competitors Snapchat and Instagram. “The Committee maintained supreme access to all the company data, even data stored in the United States,” the complaint obtained by the New York Times said. Yu claimed that shortly after starting his job, he realized ByteDance had been embroiled in a “worldwide scheme” to steal from the app’s competitors such as Instagram and Snapchat. Painting a picture of the company’s early days in 2018, he claimed ByteDance would take videos from its competitors and use them to populate its own video services. “We plan to vigorously oppose what we believe are baseless claims and allegations in this complaint,” the spokesperson said.

☆ TikTok Delays Full Opening of U.S. Shop
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In March, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded to lawmakers’ questions about security concerns and potential Chinese government influence over the company. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesSINGAPORE—TikTok’s Chinese parent has delayed the rollout of its shopping platform in the U.S. as concerns over the video-sharing app’s future deter merchants from joining, dragging on the company’s plans to earn more money from its prize global asset. ByteDance has postponed opening the shop to all sellers, originally intended for early spring, to June at the earliest, people familiar with the matter said. Its actual launch date might get pushed back further because of merchants’ concerns about a possible ban of the app and tepid adoption of live-streaming e-commerce in the U.S., the people said.

☆ Lawmakers press companies that collect U.S. consumer data to reveal how they buy and sell it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In the letters, 10 lawmakers asked the companies for detailed responses on the types of sensitive information they gather, such as health, location and phone data, including apps consumers download to their devices. The companies were also asked what information they collect on minors. Last month, the subcommittee on oversight and investigations held a hearing with expert witnesses to examine "the role of data brokers in the digital economy." In that report, the regulator recommended that Congress force brokers to give consumers greater control over their data, but the "data brokers can easily circumvent existing rules and laws," the letter said. Here's the full list of data brokers who received the letter::AcxiomAtDataBabel StreetCoreLogic SolutionsEpsilon Data ManagementEquifaxExperianGravy AnalyticsInteliusKochavaLiveRampMylifeOracle AmericaPeopleConnectPlacer.aiRELXSafegraphSpokeoThomson ReutersTransUnionVerisk AnalyticsWhitepagesSubscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

☆ Threat of TikTok ban has creators scrambling to build followings on Instagram, YouTube
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Politicians have been threatening a nationwide TikTok ban unless ByteDance sells its stake in the app, a move China said it "strongly" opposed. "That's the power of TikTok," Spangler said, adding that the app drives the majority of sales for his business, The Good Chad. Olivier Douliery | Afp | Getty ImagesIn April, Montana legislators approved a bill that would ban TikTok from being offered in the state starting next year. Creators are turning to other platformsVivian Tu, who lives in Miami, has been preparing for a possible TikTok ban by working to build her audience and diversify her content across multiple platforms. With the looming threat of a TikTok ban, Foster said she's been sharing content across Instagram, YouTube and Twitter to try to expand her following.

☆ TikTok had a 'list' of users who viewed LGBTQ posts — raising alarm as the company faces scrutiny over ties to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok users watching posts under LGBTQ categories were visible to employees, WSJ reports. A TikTok representative told the Journal the company cut off access to that kind of data last year. The employees had access to "a list" of users, or "a dashboard" which let them learn about users who watched certain types of posts, the Wall Street journal reported. The rise of generative AI chatbots, for instance, has sparked questions about whether company employees can view users' conversation histories, and how long they're stored. There's already some appetite in the US to curb users' access to the app.

☆ PDD, Shein, Binance: These hugely successful companies were born in China. They don't want you to know that
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hong Kong CNN —Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, doesn’t want to be called a Chinese company. “Our opposition in the West bends over backward to paint us as a ‘Chinese company,’” he wrote in a blog post last September. Zhao has been vocal about how he feels his firm is misrepresented as a "Chinese company." The same concern could, in theory, apply to any Chinese company. TikTok CEO Shou Chew testifying before US Congress in March.

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