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☆ TikTok Faces E.U. Inquiry Over ‘Addictive’ Features
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Adam Satariano | More About Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

European Union regulators on Monday threatened to fine TikTok over potentially addictive features on a version of its app called TikTok Lite, which was released to work more smoothly on slower wireless networks. investigation adds to TikTok’s regulatory challenges as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would order the app’s owner, the Chinese internet company ByteDance, to sell TikTok or be banned. The company is under growing pressure for its links to China, data collection practices and potentially harmful effects on children. They said the features created a financial incentive to spend more time on the app, creating risks for addiction and mental health issues, particularly for children. investigation against TikTok, along with another inquiry focused on a lack of effective age-verification protections and addictive design features.

Persons: TikTok Organizations: U.S, Senate, TikTok Locations: China, Europe

☆ Investors are fearful. They shouldn’t be
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The economy has been extraordinarily resilient for the past few years — consistently proving the naysayers wrong, he says. For all of the market gloom last week, stocks are still near all-time highs, and this earnings season has been strong. Investors have been worrying about the Federal Reserve keeping rates higher for longer. I speak with many institutional investors, and I don’t see them folding in fear. Residual lubricant reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal,” the NHTSA wrote in the recall document.

Persons: ”, Philipp Carlsson, there’s, Carlsson, Szlezak, they’re, I’m, it’s, I’ve, we’re, TikTok, Brian Fung, Joe Biden, Tesla, Chris Isidore, Peter Valdes Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Boston Consulting, ByteDance, NHTSA Locations: New York, Europe, Ukraine, Israel, Washington

☆ Is the US really close to banning TikTok? Yes? And, also: No.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bill aimed at banning TikTok in the US could be signed into law as early as this week. AdvertisementThe US House of Representatives passed a so-called TikTok ban bill on Saturday. Combining all three things means the TikTok bill will likely be approved as part of the package deal. AdvertisementSo you're saying ByteDance really has a year to sell TikTok to a different owner? For reference: In May 2023, Montana lawmakers passed their own TikTok ban bill; in November of that year, a federal judge blocked the measure.

Persons: —, Will TikTok, Joe Biden, TikTok, Biden, there's, ByteDance, Steve Mnuchin, Trump, Mnuchin, doesn't Organizations: Service, US, Google, Apple Locations: TikTok's China, TikTok, Ukraine, Israel, Montana, China

☆ House passes legislation that could ban TikTok in the US amid high-stakes vote on foreign aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

By attaching the TikTok bill to funding for Ukrainian military equipment and Israeli missile defense, House Republicans put the pressure on Senate lawmakers to consider the whole package in a single up-or-down vote. Policy analysts expect the Senate to take up the aid package quickly, giving it high odds of passage. And President Joe Biden has previously said he would sign the TikTok legislation if it reaches his desk. And in the days leading up to the House vote on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the urgency of approving the foreign aid. On Saturday, Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor that there is a tentative agreement for the chamber to take up the foreign aid package on Tuesday.

Persons: TikTok, Joe Biden, ” TikTok, ”, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Paul Gallant, Cowen, Gallant, ” Gallant Organizations: Washington CNN, ByteDance, House Republicans, Cowen Inc Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Washington, U.S

☆ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts Speaker Mike Johnson, says will wait on potential move to vacate
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Jake Piazza | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., leaves the U.S. Capitol after filing a motion to vacate Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., from his post on Friday, March 22, 2024. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will let her fellow House Republicans hear from their constituents before deciding whether to move forward with a vote to remove Speaker Mike Johnson. "I do not support Mike Johnson, he's already a lame duck," Greene told reporters. Greene filed a motion for a vote to force Johnson to vacate the Speaker position in March, but no further action has been taken since then. Speaker Johnson, who spoke to reporters after the votes as well, voiced a similar sentiment.

Persons: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Greene, China's ByteDance, Johnson, he's, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, — CNBC's Rebecca Picciotto Organizations: U.S, Capitol, CNN, Senate Locations: Taiwan, Ukraine, Israel

☆ House passes Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid, potential TikTok ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., conducts a news conference in the U.S. Capitol after the House passed the foreign aid package rule on Friday, April 19, 2024. The bills earmark over $60 billion for Ukraine aid, more than $26 billion for Israel and over $8 billion for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific security. The House's approval is a critical next step for foreign aid, which has been in limbo since President Biden first proposed it in October. Despite that looming political backlash, Speaker Johnson was persuaded to revisit the foreign aid package after Iran's attempted strike on Israel last weekend. In response, Johnson put the foreign aid package at the top of the House's agenda.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Biden, Chuck Schumer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, China's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Iran's, Johnson's, Steve Scalise Organizations: U.S, Capitol, United States House, Representatives, Democrats, Republicans, Rep, NBC News Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ What to know about the TikTok ban bill the House passed
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —House lawmakers have once again passed legislation that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban, renewing a massive threat to the company’s US operations. In March, House lawmakers approved a bill that would give TikTok roughly six months to sell. Another factor that’s shaking things up is how House Republicans inserted the TikTok bill into a much larger foreign aid package. Biden endorsed the prior version of the TikTok bill, which suggests he may quickly sign any foreign aid package that includes similar language targeting TikTok. In addition to complying with the legislation, TikTok could challenge it in court and has made no secret that it might do so.

Persons: TikTok, Joe Biden, there’s, who’ve, Washington Democratic Sen, Maria Cantwell, Paul Gallant, Cowen, Gallant, Joe Biden’s, Biden, —, Shou Chew, ”, Nadine Farid Johnson, ByteDance Organizations: CNN —, White, Washington Democratic, Republicans, House, Senate, Inc, Columbia University, “, TikTok Locations: United States, Ukraine, Israel, China

☆ House votes to ban TikTok in US unless Chinese owner ByteDance sells to American company
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The House voted in favor of a bill that could result in an American ban on TikTok. The bill would force TikTok owner ByteDance to sell to an American company or face a ban. AdvertisementThe House advanced legislation on Saturday that could lead to a TikTok ban in the United States. The bill forces TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, to secure American ownership in about a year or face a domestic ban. Earlier versions of the legislation gave ByteDance just six months to find a new owner.

Persons: ByteDance, it's, —, Mike Johnson Organizations: Senate, Service, Business Locations: American, United States, Taiwain, Israel, Ukraine

☆ Women in states where abortion is banned rely on TikTok for advice. Now TikTok itself might be banned.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Young people are relying on TikTok for abortion information amid legal uncertainty in the US. AdvertisementYoung people confused about abortion bans in their state are turning to TikTok for advice. Wildly popular in the United States with 170 million users, TikTok has become a resource for American women trying to navigate the complex and varied laws on abortion. Related storyAs more people turn to social media for information about abortion, more women are sharing their personal experiences on TikTok. AdvertisementMikaela Attu's TikTok video about the day she had an abortion was viewed over 3.5 million times.

Persons: —, TikTok, Merle Hoffman, Hoffman, Rebecca Nall, Jennifer Lincoln, Lincoln, She's, Mikaela, Attu, Sunni, they're Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Michigan, Times Locations: American, United States, New York City, New Jersey, Wyoming, Canada, Attu

☆ Here's what Apple will say if a US TikTok ban becomes law
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple just removed WhatsApp, Signal, and other messaging apps from its Chinese app store. But it could happen in the US, too, if a TikTok ban bill becomes law. It's from an unidentified Apple comms person, to The Wall Street Journal, explaining why Apple just took four messaging/social media apps — WhatsApp, Threads, Signal, and Telegram — out of its Chinese app store. If the TikTok bill does become law, it won't make TikTok go away overnight in the US. But if the law jumps enough hurdles to become enforceable, Apple would have to remove TikTok from its US app store, as would Google.

Persons: —, Apple, You've, Hasan Minhaj's, Joe Biden, TikTok Organizations: Apple, Big Tech, Service, Wall Street, Netflix, Facebook, Google Locations: China, Hong Kong, America, Ukraine, Israel

US House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference following the House Republican caucus meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on November 29, 2023. Speaker Mike Johnson, facing intense opposition from right-wing members, received crucial help from Democrats to move forward with the votes. Passing this legislation would send a powerful message about the strength of American leadership at a pivotal moment," the White House budget office said in a statement Friday endorsing the House package. But Johnson, who opposed Ukraine aid last year before he became speaker, now says he believes it is "critically important," based on the intelligence and briefings he has since gotten. Democrats praised the move to proceed to House votes, highlighting their party's key role.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Thomas Massie, Chip Roy, Ralph Norman, Johnson, — Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, I'm, Vladimir Putin, Don Beyer, Grace Meng Organizations: Republican, The, Democratic, White House, Administration, Naval Academy, U.S, Democrats, couldn't Locations: Washington ,, Ukraine, Israel, U.S, China, Ky, Texas, Europe, American

☆ Apple pulls Meta's WhatsApp, Threads from China App Store
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple on Friday said it pulled several messaging apps like Meta 's WhatsApp and Threads from the App Store in China after the nation's government ordered the removal, citing security concerns. In recent days, Congress has been looking to fast-track legislation to push TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest the social media app. "We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree," Apple said in a statement. "The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns." Other messaging platforms like Signal and Telegram were also removed from China's App Store.

Persons: Tim Cook, Joe Biden, Apple Organizations: Apple, Economic Cooperation, APEC, U.S, Administration of China Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, China

Within days, millions of TikTok videos using music from Universal artists went mute, and since then guessing which side would blink first has become a media-business parlor game. Backing this up, one study found that TikTok users reported experiencing higher levels of flow than Instagram users. Corey Basch, who analyzed 100 popular TikTok videos with the hashtag mentalhealth for a 2022 study, emerged concerned about the looping effect of the algorithm. Cerave Sales increased by more than 60 percent in 2020 after skin care became a lockdown pastime and TikTok users discovered the drugstore mainstay. Cat Crack Catnip It briefly sold out in 2021 after TikTok users posted videos of their cats going crazy for it.

Persons: randos, TikTok, you’ve, Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, ”, “ Wonka, Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, —, goofing, cavorting, Sue Fleishman, Z’s Walter Cronkite, Spehar, Donald J, Trump, he’s, Caitlin Clark’s, Joe Biden, Justin Bieber, Abbie Richards, Richards, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Fleetwood Mac, Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Drake, Swift, ByteDance, can’t, Mark Warner, hasn’t, Al, ear on, Li Organizations: Fleetwood Mac, Facebook, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, White, Pew Research Center, YouTube, The New York Times, Kansas City Chiefs, Media, Colgate, Universal Music Group, ByteDance, Intelligence Committee, e Locations: United States, Beijing, Biden’s, TikTok, Singapore, View, Calif, China, American

Apple said it pulled the Meta-owned apps WhatsApp and Threads from its app store in China on Friday on government orders, potentially escalating the war over technology between the United States and China. The House of Representatives was preparing to vote on a bill as soon as this weekend that would force the Chinese internet company ByteDance to sell its popular video app TikTok or have it be banned in the United States. U.S. lawmakers have said TikTok poses a security threat because of its ties to China. Apple said that China’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration, ordered the removal of WhatsApp and Threads from its app store because of national security concerns. “We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree,” an Apple spokesman said.

Persons: Apple Organizations: U.S, Cyberspace Administration, Apple Locations: China, United States

☆ How an Obscure Chinese Real Estate Start-Up Paved the Way to TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Mara Hvistendahl | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2009, long before Jeff Yass became a Republican megadonor, his firm, Susquehanna International Group, invested in a Chinese real estate start-up that boasted a sophisticated search algorithm. Behind the scenes, employees of a Chinese subsidiary of Mr. Yass’s firm were so deeply involved, records show, that they conceived the idea for the company and handpicked its chief executive. They said in one email that he was not the company’s “real founder.”As a real estate venture, 99Fang ultimately fizzled. They say that 99Fang’s chief executive — and the search technology — resurfaced at another Susquehanna venture: ByteDance. ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, is now one of the world’s most highly valued start-ups, worth $225 billion, according to CB Insights, a firm that tracks venture capital.

Persons: Jeff Yass, Republican megadonor, 99Fang, Yass’s, —, Zhang Yiming Organizations: Republican, Susquehanna International Group, Mr, Susquehanna Locations: ByteDance

The clock ticks for TikTokThe push to either split TikTok from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, or ban it in the U.S. is gaining momentum thanks to a legislative maneuver by the House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill’s progress comes as The Times reveals more details about the video platform’s origin story — and the central role played by the Chinese subsidiary of the trading firm of a Republican donor, Jeff Yass. Johnson has bundled the TikTok bill into a foreign aid package. The speaker said on Wednesday that he would put up for a vote this weekend a spending measure for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan that includes a modified version of the TikTok divestment legislation. The move may force the Senate’s hand: The House overwhelmingly passed the bill last month, but the Senate hasn’t been in a rush to take it up.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Jeff Yass, Johnson, hasn’t Organizations: Times Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ A Trove of ByteDance Records Mistakenly Went Public. Here’s What They Say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Mara Hvistendahl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Somehow, thousands of pages of sealed court documents relating to the birth of TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, were mistakenly released by a Pennsylvania court. The documents — emails, chat transcripts and memos — are a fascinating window into ByteDance’s origins. They also tell a new version of the ByteDance origin story, one with fits and starts on the way to becoming one of the world’s most highly valued start-ups. The ByteDance origin story, as we know it, has the ring of Silicon Valley lore. As the story goes, the company’s founder, Zhang Yiming, sketched out the idea on a napkin for an employee of a Susquehanna subsidiary in 2012.

Persons: Jeff Yass, ByteDance, Zhang Yiming Organizations: Susquehanna International Group, Republican, Susquehanna Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ TikTok is in the hot seat once again in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

An earlier version of the TikTok bill sailed through the House in March, but it has become bogged down in the Senate. Opponents, including TikTok and a range of civil society groups, have argued the bill risks violating TikTok users’ First Amendment rights. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the House TikTok bill if it reaches his desk. The latest version of the TikTok bill contains some updates. One key senator who was doubtful of the initial House TikTok bill appeared satisfied.

Persons: TikTok, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, there’s, “, Johnson, ”, Washington Democratic Sen, Maria Cantwell, I’ve, Cantwell, Cathy McMorris Rodgers Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Senate, House Republicans, Washington Democratic, Oracle, Republican, Washington Rep Locations: Israel, Ukraine, China, India, Texas

☆ Los archivos de ByteDance se hicieron públicos por error. Esto es lo que dicen
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Mara Hvistendahl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ TikTok doubles ad buy to fight potential U.S. ban as Congress moves to fast-track legislation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

TikTok more than doubled its ad spend to over $4.5 million in a campaign to combat a potential U.S. ban as Congress looks to fast-track legislation to push parent company ByteDance to divest the social media app. TikTok has spent over $2.5 million on television ads alone since March, according to data from AdImpact. The popular social media company has spent almost $900,000 on digital advertisements, according to the data. The data from AdImpact in late March showed TikTok initially purchased $2.1 million in advertising. TikTok's boosted ad spend could act as a last stand as the new bill appears to have key support in the Senate.

Persons: Giovanna Gonzalez, TikTok, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Foreign Locations: Chicago, Washington , U.S, AdImpact, Ukraine, Israel, TikTok

☆ TikTok Bill Is Bundled With Aid to Ukraine and Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( David Mccabe | Sapna Maheshwari | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The measure, a modified version of a stand-alone bill that the House passed last month, will be considered alongside a package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, according to text of the legislation released by House leadership. The president could extend the deadline by another 90 days if progress toward a sale was being made. House lawmakers are expected to vote Saturday on a package of legislation that includes the TikTok ban and other bills popular with Republicans, a maneuver intended to induce lawmakers to vote for the foreign aid. If the package passes, the measures will be sent as a single bill to the Senate, which could vote soon after. President Biden has said he’ll sign TikTok legislation into law if it reaches his desk.

Persons: Biden Organizations: House, Republicans, Senate Locations: United States, Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

☆ What a TikTok Ban Would Mean for the U.S. Defense of an Open Internet
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For decades, the United States has fashioned itself the champion of an open internet, arguing that the web should be largely unregulated and that digital data should flow around the globe unhindered by borders. The government has argued against internet censorship abroad and even funded software that lets people in autocratic states get around online content restrictions. Digital rights groups and others around the world have taken notice — and raised the question of how the moves against TikTok contradict the United States’ arguments in favor of an open internet. A Russian opposition blogger, Aleksandr Gorbunov, posted on social media last month that Russia could use the move to shut down services like YouTube. And digital rights advocates globally are expressing fears of a ripple effect, with the United States providing cover for authoritarians who want to censor the internet.

Persons: Aleksandr Gorbunov, authoritarians Organizations: TikTok, United Locations: United States, Israel, Ukraine, States, Russian, Russia

☆ China just proved why Congress wants to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A bill to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok is making its way through Congress. Legislators are concerned about ByteDance's ties to China given how much user data Tiktok collects. The Chinese Embassy reportedly lobbied against the bill. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementChina proved the point of the TikTok ban bill through Congress after officials from the Chinese Embassy reportedly lobbied against it recently.

Persons: ByteDance, — Organizations: Embassy, Service, Politico, Business Locations: TikTok, China

☆ A former TikTok employee says he had a boss he never met, which concealed the platform's close ties to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

An ex-TikTok worker claims the company hid the involvement of ByteDance, Fortune reported. Evan Turner said he had check-ins with a ByteDance exec in Beijing and never met his American boss. AdvertisementA former TikTok employee said the company tried to hide the involvement of Chinese owner ByteDance in his work by assigning him to a manager in Seattle, whom he never met. Evan Turner, a former senior data scientist, told Fortune he was being managed by a Beijing-based ByteDance executive when he joined the company. He claimed he was placed under the management of an American manager in Seattle later in his employment.

Persons: Evan Turner, —, ByteDance, Fortune, Turner Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Beijing, Seattle, TikTok

☆ Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in AI firm G42 which faces U.S. scrutiny for China ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

G42 will run its AI applications and services on the Microsoft Azure cloud service, as well as deploy Microsoft's cloud offerings. The U.S. and UAE governments appeared to be heavily involved in the deal. "Both companies will move forward with a commitment to comply with U.S. and international trade, security, responsible AI, and business integrity laws and regulations," Microsoft said. Gallagher alleges that G42 maintains relationship with blacklisted Chinese firms, such as Huawei, and that it works with China's military and intelligence services. G42 itself has reportedly invested in Chinese firms, including TikTok owner ByteDance.

Persons: Brad Smith, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahya, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, ByteDance Organizations: Microsoft, United Arab, U.S, UAE, U.S ., Chinese Communist Party, Commerce Department, Huawei Locations: Bellevue , Washington, United Arab Emirates, U.S, UAE, China

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