TikTok has known about how the app can harm teens and preteens, new documents show
2 months, 4 weeks ago

TikTok has known about how the app can harm teens and preteens, new documents show

NPR  

TikTok has known about how the app can harm teens and preteens, new documents show AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: TikTok executives were acutely aware of the potential dangers the app could cause to teens but appeared unconcerned, even though the company's own internal research validated the fears child safety advocates have been raising for years. But in internal documents, TikTok admitted the real goal was to improve public trust in the company via positive media coverage, not actually trying to get kids to put their phones down. And a TikTok spokesman said the material cherry-picks misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent the company's commitment to safety. So it shouldn't be surprising that social media companies are fighting fiercely here with each other, but what's really striking, Ayesha, is the company's inaction despite being aware of all the ways in which the app can potentially harm young people.

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History of this topic

ByteDance’s Lemon8 gains traction amid TikTok ban threat as creators push the app
2 days, 22 hours ago

ByteDance’s Lemon8 gains traction amid TikTok ban threat as creators push the app

Associated Press  

Hearing a lot about Lemon8 lately? Amid a looming U.S. ban on TikTok, content creators have been pushing the platform’s sister app. Lemon8’s popularity could potentially soar further depending on the outcome of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing Friday over a law requiring TikTok to break ties with ByteDance or face a U.S. ban. TikTok said the integration was designed …

Banning TikTok won’t solve your data-security problem
Trending News
3 days, 7 hours ago

Banning TikTok won’t solve your data-security problem

Live Mint  

During last year’s presidential campaign, Kamala Harris regularly posted on TikTok, encouraging voters to follow her on the platform, as did Joe Biden before he withdrew. he wrote on Truth Social last week, above a bar graph that showed his TikTok views outpacing not only Ms. Harris’s but also those of Tucker Carlson and Taylor Swift. As Scientific American reported …

TikTok users want SCOTUS to think it’s more about dance videos than Chinese international intrigue
Trending News
3 days, 9 hours ago

TikTok users want SCOTUS to think it’s more about dance videos than Chinese international intrigue

CNN  

CNN — TikTok, the popular social media platform celebrated for its frothy mix of dance videos, cat antics, news clips and recipes, will wage a substantial First Amendment battle at the Supreme Court on Friday. “Most of it consists of things like dance videos, home-repair tutorials, and montages of weekend getaways.” More importantly as a matter of First Amendment protection, …

Small businesses brace themselves for potentially disruptive TikTok ban
1 week, 3 days ago

Small businesses brace themselves for potentially disruptive TikTok ban

Associated Press  

A looming TikTok ban could affect the millions of small businesses that use the short-video social media app to help them grow their business. According to TikTok’s own estimates, small businesses on TikTok would lose more than $1 billion in revenue in a single month if the ban goes into effect. The Justice Department ordered the app’s China-based parent company, …

Albania announces shutdown of TikTok for at least a year
Top News
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Albania announces shutdown of TikTok for at least a year

The Hindu  

Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children. Prime Minister Edi Rama said after meeting with parents' groups and teachers from across the country that the ban, part of a broader plan to make schools …

One billion users, but controversies mount up for TikTok
2 weeks, 6 days ago

One billion users, but controversies mount up for TikTok

Hindustan Times  

TikTok's breakneck rise from niche video-sharing app to global social media behemoth has drawn intense scrutiny, particularly over its links to China. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Saturday the government would shut down social network TikTok for at least a year from 2025. The EU is probing whether far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu's surprise victory in the first round …

One billion users, but controversies mount up for TikTok
2 weeks, 6 days ago

One billion users, but controversies mount up for TikTok

Hindustan Times  

TikTok's breakneck rise from niche video-sharing app to global social media behemoth has drawn intense scrutiny, particularly over its links to China. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said Saturday the government would shut down social network TikTok for at least a year from 2025. The EU is probing whether far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu's surprise victory in the first round …

TikTok the thug of the neighbourhood, says PM as Albania shuts down app for at least a year
3 weeks ago

TikTok the thug of the neighbourhood, says PM as Albania shuts down app for at least a year

New Indian Express  

TIRANA: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced Saturday that the government will shut down social network TikTok for at least a year starting at the beginning of 2025. During a meeting in Tirana with Albanian teachers, parents and psychologists Rama said that "TikTok is the thug of the neighbourhood". The killing sparked a debate in the country among parents, psychologists …

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app
3 weeks, 2 days ago

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

Supreme Court will take up TikTok’s bid to avoid US ban
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Supreme Court will take up TikTok’s bid to avoid US ban

Politico  

Instead, the justices decided to receive full legal briefing through the holidays on the First Amendment issues at stake and to hear the case before Trump’s inauguration. “We’re pleased with today’s Supreme Court order,” TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes said. “We believe the Court will find the TikTok ban unconstitutional so the over 170 million Americans on our platform can continue …

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app
Trending News
3 weeks, 3 days ago

TikTok ban in numbers: The rise and impending fall of the world’s most controversial app

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. This has helped bring the total number of TikTok users around the world to above 2 billion, …

TikTok is a go-to news source for young people. Legacy media wants in.
3 weeks, 5 days ago

TikTok is a go-to news source for young people. Legacy media wants in.

Live Mint  

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst has his routine down when reporting from Tel Aviv, or Kyiv, or Beirut: He clears his throat, looks into the camera and records a segment for the news network. “By using social media, I’m able to connect with a younger audience that may not traditionally be watching cable news and get them interested …

TikTok Shop was going to be the next big thing. A potential ban could change that
4 weeks ago

TikTok Shop was going to be the next big thing. A potential ban could change that

CNN  

CNN — Aakaanksh Autade was iffy on TikTok Shop, TikTok’s in-app shopping feature, when it launched last year. “When you mix in commerce with our favorite source of entertainment, then we’re going to spend all our money there.” TikTok Shop’s reliance on user-generated content allows consumers to hear from voices they trust. Courtesy Carrie Berk Social media strategist Keenya Kelly …

Nearly half of American teens are on the internet ‘almost constantly.’ Here’s what they’re viewing
4 weeks, 1 day ago

Nearly half of American teens are on the internet ‘almost constantly.’ Here’s what they’re viewing

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Seventy-five percent of teens aged 15 to 17 are more likely to use social media than teens …

What’s next for TikTok now that the app might get banned?
1 month ago

What’s next for TikTok now that the app might get banned?

CNN  

New York CNN — TikTok’s US-based users could have only a few more weeks to enjoy scrolling through their For You Page before the app is banned in the country starting on January 19, 2025. “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this …

TikTok is one step closer to being banned in the US
1 month ago

TikTok is one step closer to being banned in the US

CNN  

New York CNN — TikTok has lost its bid to strike down a law that could result in the platform being banned in the United States. Denying TikTok’s argument that the law was unconstitutional, the judges found that the law does not “contravene the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States,” nor does it “violate the Fifth Amendment …

TikTok lost a major legal bid to avoid a U.S. ban. Now what?
1 month ago

TikTok lost a major legal bid to avoid a U.S. ban. Now what?

LA Times  

A visitor passes the TikTok exhibition stands at the Gamescom computer gaming fair in Cologne, Germany, in 2022. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” Legal experts said they expect TikTok will appeal its case to the Supreme …

The Future of TikTok Is Being Decided This Week
1 month ago

The Future of TikTok Is Being Decided This Week

Wired  

Republicans and Democrats sank ungodly amounts of money into creating content for TikTok this election year, but there’s a chance the app might not be around in the US come next cycle. The law put in place a system that would ban TikTok if the app’s parent company, Bytedance, didn’t sell to a US-based owner by January 19, 2025. Soon, …

Safety is ‘at the core’ of TikTok, European executive says
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Safety is ‘at the core’ of TikTok, European executive says

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The safety of TikTok users “is at the core of the platform”, one …

Trump wanted to ban TikTok. Will his return to office help save it?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Trump wanted to ban TikTok. Will his return to office help save it?

LA Times  

The fate of TikTok in the U.S. has been up in the air since 2020, when then-President Trump moved to ban the popular video app because of national security concerns. One hitch: Trump recently changed his mind, joining TikTok in June and posting on social media, “Those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump.” “We’re not doing …

Trump led the charge to ban TikTok. Now he says he’ll save it
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump led the charge to ban TikTok. Now he says he’ll save it

Al Jazeera  

Trump has pledged to ‘save’ popular Chinese-owned app despite signing an order to ban it during his first term. On the campaign trail, Trump, who signed an executive order seeking to ban the app during his first term, pledged to “save TikTok” but neither he nor his transition team have disclosed further details about what this might mean for ByteDance. …

TikTok Employees Shrug Off the US Election
2 months ago

TikTok Employees Shrug Off the US Election

Wired  

TikTok is one of the tech companies that could be most impacted by the outcome of the US elections. “There’s little you can do as an ordinary employee, and everyone thinks that way, so the result is business as usual.” WIRED talked to half a dozen employees at TikTok and its parent company ByteDance on the condition of anonymity, and …

Childhood Trauma and Addiction to Short-Form Video Content: A Psychological Perspective
2 months, 1 week ago

Childhood Trauma and Addiction to Short-Form Video Content: A Psychological Perspective

Hindustan Times  

The allure of short-form video content stems from its ability to provide instant dopamine rushes, a hormone associated with pleasure and reward. However, this addiction can become problematic, especially for individuals with adverse childhood experiences. The short-form content provides a temporary escape from their emotional distress, diverting their attention from the underlying problems. This can lead to a cycle of …

How TikTok is encouraging young girls to get a sugar daddy
2 months, 3 weeks ago

How TikTok is encouraging young girls to get a sugar daddy

ABC  

A jury in WA was recently shown a recorded interview in which police questioned a 14-year-old girl about how she ended up on the couch at the house of a middle-aged man she'd met online. App prohibits underage people Several sugar daddy websites and apps exist online, promising to connect young "attractive" women with older "wealthy" men. TikTok videos reaching …

Inside the TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting 'attractive' people
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Inside the TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting 'attractive' people

NPR  

Inside the TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting 'attractive' people toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Kids as young as 15 were stripping on TikTok’s live feature fueled by adults who were paying for it. TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes beautiful people When TikTok’s main video feed saw “a high volume of … not attractive subjects” filling everyone’s screens, the app rejiggered its algorithm …

TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege
3 months ago

TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege

NPR  

TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege toggle caption Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images For the first time, internal TikTok communications have been made public that show a company unconcerned with the harms the app poses for American teenagers. “Unfortunately, this complaint cherry-picks misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent our commitment …

Kentucky AG inadvertently reveals messages showing TikTok execs knew app could harm teens: report
3 months ago

Kentucky AG inadvertently reveals messages showing TikTok execs knew app could harm teens: report

Salon  

A review of TikTok's internal communications suggests executives were aware the app could potentially harm teens because of its addictive nature but pursued them as users anyway, according to NPR. The company's communications reveal that employees knew the app could harm teens' mental health if they spent too much time on it, according to NPR. Among the revelations: TikTok users …

TikTok sued by multiple states for allegedly causing harm to children’s mental health
3 months ago

TikTok sued by multiple states for allegedly causing harm to children’s mental health

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta files lawsuit against TikTok for exploiting young users
3 months ago

Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta files lawsuit against TikTok for exploiting young users

LA Times  

Rob Bonta joined several other attorneys general in filing lawsuits Tuesday against TikTok, alleging the popular social media app is exploiting young users, violating state consumer protection laws and misleading the public. Rob Bonta and several other state attorneys general filed a coordinated blitz of lawsuits Tuesday against TikTok, alleging the popular social media app is exploiting young users, violating …

TikTok sued by 14 attorneys general over alleged harm to children’s mental health
3 months ago

TikTok sued by 14 attorneys general over alleged harm to children’s mental health

CNN  

New York CNN — A bipartisan group of 14 attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits on Tuesday against TikTok, alleging that the platform has “addicted” young people and harmed their mental health. “TikTok’s underlying business model focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the platform so the company can boost revenue from selling targeted ads,” the attorneys general …

D.C. and more than a dozen states sue TikTok
3 months ago

D.C. and more than a dozen states sue TikTok

NPR  

D.C. and more than a dozen states sue TikTok NPR's Juana Summers talks with D.C. AG Brian Schwalb about the new lawsuit against TikTok alleging that the social media platform causes harm to kids and operates in an illegal virtual economy. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is in the studio with me to talk more about this new lawsuit against …

Poll: More turning to TikTok for news in US
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Poll: More turning to TikTok for news in US

China Daily  

Small toy figures are seen in front of TikTok logo in this illustration picture taken March 15, 2021. About 4 in 10 young adults in the US now regularly get news on TikTok, according to a Pew Research Center analysis published on Tuesday. Today, 39 percent of adults under 30 say they regularly get news on TikTok, compared with shares …

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image
5 months ago

Canada man sues social media giants YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, for being too addictive, causing negative body image

Hindustan Times  

A 24 year old man from Montreal, Canada, is launching a class-action lawsuit against social media companies like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, and Facebook for being “too addictive.” Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram apps are seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. The man started using social media in 2015, due to which, he claimed …

DOJ lawsuit: TikTok illegally collected personal data from children
5 months, 1 week ago

DOJ lawsuit: TikTok illegally collected personal data from children

Salon  

The Department of Justice announced a sweeping suit against TikTok on Friday, accusing the social media platform of collecting personal data from children in violation of federal law. “This action is necessary to prevent the defendants, who are repeat offenders and operate on a massive scale, from collecting and using young children’s private information without any parental consent or control,” …

US DOJ files lawsuit against TikTok, ByteDance for failing on child privacy
5 months, 1 week ago

US DOJ files lawsuit against TikTok, ByteDance for failing on child privacy

Al Jazeera  

The US alleges that for years millions of American children under 13 have been using TikTok and the site ‘has been collecting and retaining’ their data. The United States Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and parent company ByteDance for failing to protect children’s privacy on the social media app The government said on Friday TikTok violated …

TikTok collected user views on abortion and gun control, U.S. Justice Department says
5 months, 1 week ago

TikTok collected user views on abortion and gun control, U.S. Justice Department says

The Hindu  

In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department is accusing TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. TikTok employees used Lark to send sensitive data about U.S. users, information that has wound up being stored …

TikTok collected views of US users on abortion, gun control: Justice Department
5 months, 1 week ago

TikTok collected views of US users on abortion, gun control: Justice Department

India Today  

In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department is accusing TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. TikTok employees used Lark to send sensitive data about US users, information that has wound up being stored …

Justice Department says TikTok collected US user views on issues like abortion and gun control
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Justice Department says TikTok collected US user views on issues like abortion and gun control

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department is accusing TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. TikTok employees used Lark to send sensitive data about U.S. users, information that has wound up …

TikTok Lite Leaves up to 1 Billion Users With Fewer Protections
5 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok Lite Leaves up to 1 Billion Users With Fewer Protections

Wired  

In May, TikTok announced that it would automatically label AI-generated content on its platform. A new report from the Mozilla Foundation and AI Forensics finds that TikTok’s Lite-Save Data version, aimed at users in poorer markets, not only leaves AI-generated content unlabeled, but also lacks other, similar safeguards. Some content about topics like elections and health, similarly, includes a notice …

One in five young voters prefers TikTok and Instagram for election news, poll reveals
6 months, 2 weeks ago

One in five young voters prefers TikTok and Instagram for election news, poll reveals

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} As the country …

TikTok cyberattack targets CNN, Paris Hilton and other high-profile accounts
7 months ago

TikTok cyberattack targets CNN, Paris Hilton and other high-profile accounts

LA Times  

TikTok is investigating a cyberattack targeting “a number of high-profile” accounts, including media outlet CNN and celebrity Paris Hilton. In particular, a TikTok spokesperson said, the company has been “collaborating closely with CNN to restore account access and implement enhanced security measures” after the news organization was targeted on the app by “malicious actors.” “We are dedicated to maintaining the …

Trump joins TikTok and gains 3 million followers in two days
7 months, 1 week ago

Trump joins TikTok and gains 3 million followers in two days

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump has garnered over three million followers in just …

Trump joins TikTok and calls it ‘an honor.’ As president he once tried to ban the video-sharing app
7 months, 1 week ago

Trump joins TikTok and calls it ‘an honor.’ As president he once tried to ban the video-sharing app

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. Donald Trump has joined the popular video-sharing app TikTok, a platform he once tried to ban while in the White House, and posted from a UFC fight two days after he became the first former president and presumptive major party nominee in U.S. history to be found guilty on felony …

US activists worry about ‘losing major asset’ TikTok as potential ban looms
7 months, 1 week ago

US activists worry about ‘losing major asset’ TikTok as potential ban looms

Al Jazeera  

Recent decisions by US gov’t and platforms have made organising on TikTok and Instagram much harder for activists. For the last two years, he’s used TikTok and Instagram as a means to spread the word about climate marches and real-life ways people can get involved and fight to take on climate change. Limits on Meta and X The US government’s …

TikTok curbs state-affiliated media amid foreign influence fears
7 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok curbs state-affiliated media amid foreign influence fears

Al Jazeera  

Video-sharing app says state-backed accounts will not be recommended or allowed to advertise outside home countries. TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, has announced new curbs on state-affiliated media amid concerns about foreign interference in a major election year. The Chinese-owned platform said on Thursday that state-affiliated media accounts would no longer be recommended in users’ feeds or allowed to advertise …

TikTok content creators sue the U.S. government over law that could ban the popular platform
7 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok content creators sue the U.S. government over law that could ban the popular platform

The Hindu  

Eight TikTok content creators sued the U.S. Government on May 14, issuing another challenge to the new federal law that would ban the popular social media platform nationwide if its China-based parent company doesn’t sell its stakes within a year. Attorneys for the creators argued in the lawsuit that the law violates users’ First Amendment rights to free speech, echoing …

TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media platform
8 months ago

TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media platform

Associated Press  

TikTok and its Chinese parent company filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new American law that would ban the popular video-sharing app in the U.S. unless it’s sold to an approved buyer, saying it unfairly singles out the platform and is an unprecedented attack on free speech. In its lawsuit, ByteDance says the new law vaguely paints its ownership of …

L.A. influencers, businesses live or die on TikTok’s algorithm. Now they fear for the future
8 months ago

L.A. influencers, businesses live or die on TikTok’s algorithm. Now they fear for the future

LA Times  

Brandon Hurst is known as Brandon the Plant Guy on TikTok. “What makes TikTok special is the algorithm,” Hurst said, noting that if TikTok’s owners sell the app, the algorithm could change. “A lot of people have scaled probably beyond their wildest dreams.” Influencers don’t need to own a business to make money on TikTok, one creator said. For small-business …

Most Americans see TikTok as a Chinese influence tool,...
8 months, 1 week ago

Most Americans see TikTok as a Chinese influence tool,...

Daily Mail  

By Jason Lange and David Shepardson WASHINGTON, May 1 - - A majority of Americans believe that China uses TikTok to shape U.S. public opinion, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted as Washington moves closer to potentially banning the Chinese-owned short-video app. Some 58% of respondents to the two-day poll, which closed on Tuesday, agreed with a statement that the …

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