Page 9 - Tiktok

US President Biden's TikTok, oil moves test the loyalty of young voters

Recent moves by President Joe Biden to pressure TikTok over its Chinese ownership and approve oil drilling in an untapped area of Alaska are testing the loyalty of young voters, a group that's largely been in his corner. Youth turnout surged in the three elections since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, helping Biden eke out victories in swing states in 2020, pick up a Democratic Senate seat in the 2022 election and stem potential losses in the House. But the 80-year-old president has never been the favorite candidate of young liberals itching for a new generation of American leadership. As Biden gears up for an expected reelection campaign, a potential TikTok ban and the Alaska drilling could weigh him down. Meanwhile, his plan to wipe out billions of dollars in student loan debt is in jeopardy at the Supreme Court. The effort, announced shortly before last year's midterms, was an attempt by Biden to keep a promise he made after defeating progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders i

The TikTok challenge

Banning the app hasn't really worked in India. It's unclear if the partial ban in the UK will. Perhaps the solution lies in creating an alternative

Why does US lawmakers see Chinese-owned TikTok as a security threat?

US lawmakers have grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about data security and harmful content, with some pushing to ban the popular short-video app nationwide. A Singaporean native, Chew told the lawmakers that TikTok prioritises user safety and as he sought to avert a ban by downplaying the app's ties to China. Both Republican and Democratic representatives aggressively questioned Chew on topics including TikTok's content moderation practices, its data security plans, and past spying on journalists. Here's a look at some of the concerns about TikTok and its ownership. WHY DOES WASHINGTON SAY TIKTOK IS A THREAT? TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd., which appoints its executives. ByteDance is based in Beijing but registered in the Cayman Islands, as is common for privately owned Chinese companies. Its headquarters is in Beijing's northwestern Haidian district, home to key universities and a hub for t

As Tiktok faces heat, CEO says will never share US user data with China

Chew, who appeared before dozens of House Energy and Commerce Committee members late on Thursday, offered reassurances that the company would enhance privacy

TikTok to be blocked from parliamentary devices, networks in UK: Report

The commissions of the House of Commons and House of Lords have announced they will follow the move taken by the government on official devices, citing the need for cyber security

TikTok CEO grilled, calls India's ban 'hypothetical' and theoretical

Chew faced hostile questioning from the House Energy and Commerce Committee as he verbally danced to make the case that the social media giant is taking real action

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew rebuts Chinese spy charge at Congress grilling

TikTok has said it has spent more than $1.5 billion on what it calls rigorous data security efforts under the name "Project Texas"

TikTok CEO Shou Chew set to enter a Washington fight he can't win

The mobile app's 150 million users in the US and the strength of its content-recommendation engine mean any infraction is viewed as a potential societal threat

TikTok sends influencers to Washington as troubles grow amid possible ban

TikTok is ramping up a public relations campaign to fend off the possibility of a nationwide ban by the Biden administration, and it's bringing some unconventional advocates to help: online influencers. Dozens of TikTok creators some with millions of followers on the video-sharing app came to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby in favour of the platform, one day before lawmakers are slated to grill the company's chief executive about concerns over user data falling into the hands of the Chinese government. Shou Zi Chew plans to tell Congress on Thursday that TikTok, which was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs, is committed to user safety, data protection and security, and keeping the platform free from Chinese government influence. He will also answer questions from U.S. lawmakers worried about the social media platform's effects on its young user base. At the heart of TikTok's trouble is a Chinese national intelligence law that would compel Chinese companies to fork over data to th

TikTok CEO warns users about ban ahead of US Congress hearing on March 23

Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of Chinese short-form video platform, which faces a nationwide ban in the US, has warned users as he prepares to appear before the US Congress on March 23

All social media platforms have TikTok-like risks, says transparency group

All of these platforms have "force-fed children dangerous and harmful content with predatory algorithms, said the group

TikTok's moderators still review child abuse despite vow to exit business

The revelations highlight the challenges that social media companies and their content review teams face in protecting their users from extremely disturbing material

China appeals other govts for fair treatment after latest TikTok bans

China appealed on Friday to other governments to treat its companies fairly after Britain and New Zealand joined the United States in restricting use of TikTok due to fears the Chinese-owned short video service might be a security risk. Governments are worried TikTok's owner, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to China's government or promote propaganda and disinformation. We call on the countries concerned to recognise the objective facts, effectively respect the market economy and provide a non-discriminatory environment" for all companies, said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. TikTok is one focus of conflicts between China and other governments over technology and security that are disrupting processor chip, smartphone and other industries. Legislators and employees in New Zealand's Parliament will be prohibited from having TikTok 's app on phones, the government said on Friday. Britain announced a ban on Thursday on TikTok on all governme

New Zealand bans TikTok on phones of MPs amid rising security concerns

Amid security concerns, the video-sharing social networking service, Tik Tok has been banned on the phones of New Zealand MPs, Auckland-based daily newspaper, New Zealand Herald reported on Friday

TikTok can threaten America's safety, national security: White House

Chinese-owned video hosting service TikTok can threaten America's safety and its national security, the White House said on Thursday

China accuses US of spreading disinformation, suppressing TikTok

China accused the United States on Thursday of spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok following reports that the Biden administration was calling for its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the popular video-sharing app. The U.S. has yet to present evidence that TikTok threatens its national security and was using the excuse of data security to abuse its power to suppress foreign companies, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters at a daily briefing. The U.S. should stop spreading disinformation about data security, stop suppressing the relevant company, and provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for foreign businesses to invest and operate in the U.S., Wang said. TikTok was dismissive Wednesday of a report in The Wall Street Journal that said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., part of the Treasury Department, was threatening a U.S. ban on the app unless its owners, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., divested. If protecting ..

TikTok dismisses reports saying US wants Chinese owners to divest

TikTok was dismissive of reports that the Biden administration was calling for its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the popular video-sharing app, saying such a move wouldn't help protect national security. The company was responding to a report in The Wall Street Journal that said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., part of the Treasury Department, was threatening a U.S. ban on the app unless its owners, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., divested. "If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access," TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said. "The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing." The Journal report cited anonymous "people familiar with the matter." The .

US demands TikTok owner ByteDance sell stakes or face ban: Report

TikTok's owners may retain some form of ownership but through a passive structure

TikTok leadership considers splitting from ByteDance if deal with US fails

A divestiture, which could result in a sale or IPO, is considered a last resort, to be pursued only if the company's existing proposal with national security officials doesn't get approved

Zuckerberg was warned on social media addiction, says court filing

"No one wakes up thinking they want to maximize the number of times they open Instagram that day," one Meta employee wrote in 2021. "But that's exactly what our product teams are trying to do."