Outside China, TikTok is testing in-app sale of products
3 years, 7 months ago

Outside China, TikTok is testing in-app sale of products

Al Jazeera  

Its efforts to duplicate in foreign markets the success of its hit Chinese-only cousin Douyin could pose a threat to Facebook. ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok is working with brands including streetwear label Hype to test in-app sales in Europe, a move that will intensify its competition with Facebook Inc. and further blur the line between social media and online shopping. Facebook last May introduced new tools to improve shopping experience on its platform as well as photo-sharing app Instagram, and Pinterest has also stepped into ecommerce by channeling buyers to merchants’ websites. Businesses typically tag their products in TikTok’s social content, with links directing buyers to their own sites, but users still technically stay in the TikTok app. In a splashy coming-out party for Douyin’s one-year-old business last month, executives explained that the company intends to replicate its success with AI-recommended videos in online shopping.

China Online Shopping Chinese Tiktok Bytedance Douyin Hype  ecommerce  social  testing  inapp  products  china  merchants  tiktok  users  douyin  chinese  sale  online  shopping  company  outside

History of this topic

TikTok changed the shopping game. Then came a potential ban
1 week ago

TikTok changed the shopping game. Then came a potential ban

Salon  

TikTok Shop, launched in September 2023, has become an e-commerce behemoth as its platform edges toward leaving the U.S. On Black Friday, TikTok Shop tripled its sales from the previous year, bringing in more than $100 million in just one day. Related Social media has changed the way we spend What’s selling on TikTok Shop TikTok Shop items are as …

TikTok Shop was going to be the next big thing. A potential ban could change that
1 week, 3 days 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 …

Apple and Google must prepare to remove TikTok from app stores by Jan. 19, lawmakers warn
1 week, 4 days ago

Apple and Google must prepare to remove TikTok from app stores by Jan. 19, lawmakers warn

CNN  

Reuters — Google-parent Alphabet and Apple must be ready to remove TikTok from their U.S. app stores on January 19, two US lawmakers said in a letter to the companies’ CEOs Friday. Separately, Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi also urged TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to sell the app: “Congress has acted decisively to defend the national security of the United States …

A Gen Z version of QVC? Inside TikTok’s push to become a watch-and-shop destination
1 week, 5 days ago

A Gen Z version of QVC? Inside TikTok’s push to become a watch-and-shop destination

LA Times  

It is just past 10 p.m. and Aaliyah Arnold, the 20-year-old founder of BossUp Cosmetics, is selling to the TikTok universe. A look at how Arnold’s recent TikTok Live shopping event appeared on viewers’ mobile screens around the world. When they told me, “Can you do Live for 12 hours?” I was like, “You guys are sick, no.” — Magdalena …

TikTok’s U.S. presence in jeopardy as judges back potential ban
Trending News
2 weeks, 4 days ago

TikTok’s U.S. presence in jeopardy as judges back potential ban

Salon  

In April, legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden threatened to ban TikTok in the U.S. if the platform's China-based parent company ByteDance refused to sell to an American owner by Jan. 19, 2025, and with the deadline looming and no such sale underway, stateside fans of the popular video share site are getting nervous. …

Chinese firms, shoppers join Black Friday frenzy as e-commerce bridges borders
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Chinese firms, shoppers join Black Friday frenzy as e-commerce bridges borders

China Daily  

Chinese firms, shoppers join Black Friday frenzy as e-commerce bridges borders Xinhua Updated: Dec 05, 2024 BEIJING -- Transcending distances and national borders, the Black Friday shopping spree has become an extravaganza for both American and Chinese firms and consumers, thanks to the expansive reach of cross-border e-commerce. Online shopping on Nov 29, the first day of this year's Black …

China's ByteDance values itself at $300 bn despite a looming threat to its business, what's the maths
1 month ago

China's ByteDance values itself at $300 bn despite a looming threat to its business, what's the maths

Firstpost  

Despite facing the threat of a possible ban in the US, TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance has set its valuation at $300 billion, the highest seen to date, but what’s the reason behind it? ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, has set its valuation at $300 billion, one of the highest ever till date. ByteDance facing threat of ban …

TikTok’s Defense Strategy Involves Throwing Shein and Temu Under the Bus
3 months ago

TikTok’s Defense Strategy Involves Throwing Shein and Temu Under the Bus

Wired  

TikTok went all out to defend itself in a court hearing last Monday, to block a law that could force TikTok to be sold or banned in the United States. Earlier this year, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which aims to prevent national security threats from apps like TikTok, took less than two months to pass …

"I find myself buying a lot of unnecessary things": TikTok algorithm has changed "the shopping game"
3 months, 2 weeks ago

"I find myself buying a lot of unnecessary things": TikTok algorithm has changed "the shopping game"

Salon  

Gone are the days of receiving a mail-order catalog and circling the items you wished to buy with a bright red Sharpie. It’s almost like a recommendation from a friend.” Phaith Montoya, a beauty and lifestyle influencer with over 3 million followers on TikTok, told Salon that she now makes a purchase through TikTok Shop “every few days.” “My favorite …

TikTok disputes U.S. claims on China ties in court appeal
4 months, 1 week ago

TikTok disputes U.S. claims on China ties in court appeal

The Hindu  

TikTok told a federal appeals court on Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has mis-stated the social media app's ties to China, urging the court to overturn a law requiring China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. assets or face a ban. TikTok said on Thursday it is undisputed that the app's content recommendation engine and user data are stored …

Appeals court to hear challenges to potential U.S. TikTok ban on September 16
6 months ago

Appeals court to hear challenges to potential U.S. TikTok ban on September 16

The Hindu  

A U.S. appeals court on Monday said it will hold oral arguments on September 16 on legal challenges to a new law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets by January 19 or face a ban. On May 14, a group of TikTok creators filed suit to block the law that could ban the app used by 170 million …

TikTok content creators sue the U.S. government over law that could ban the popular platform
7 months, 1 week 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 content creators sue the US government over law that could ban the popular platform
7 months, 1 week ago

TikTok content creators sue the US government over law that could ban the popular platform

Associated Press  

Eight TikTok content creators sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, 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 argue in the lawsuit that the law violates users’ First Amendment rights to free speech, echoing arguments …

ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US over sale: Report
7 months, 4 weeks ago

ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US over sale: Report

Al Jazeera  

TikTok parent would rather have it shutdown in US than have it sold to a US buyer with algorithms, Reuters reported. TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer shutting down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the United States, Reuters reported citing …

A US TikTok ban could take a bite out of small businesses
7 months, 4 weeks ago

A US TikTok ban could take a bite out of small businesses

BBC  

A US TikTok ban could take a bite out of small businesses Without the popular social media platform, some creators and small enterprises across the globe could see their revenue plummet. Courtesy of Shira Full-time content creator Shira describes the potenital TikTok ban as "devastating" Ileana Justine, 30, a creator with a following of nearly 200,000 on TikTok at @ileanajustine, …

What a TikTok ban in the US could mean for you
7 months, 4 weeks ago

What a TikTok ban in the US could mean for you

Associated Press  

No, TikTok will not suddenly disappear from your phone. TikTok, which is used by more than 170 million Americans, most likely won’t disappear from your phone even if an eventual ban does take effect. This would also mean that TikTok wouldn’t be able to send updates, security patches and bug fixes, and over time the app would likely become unusable …

Questions swirl over the future of TikTok. Who could own it? How will the platform operate?
8 months ago

Questions swirl over the future of TikTok. Who could own it? How will the platform operate?

LA Times  

TikTok on Wednesday faced a formidable threat to its business, with a new law signed by President Biden that could dramatically change the way the popular video app operates. The new law would require ByteDance, a tech company founded in China in 2012, to sell TikTok or the app will be banned in the U.S. Business The Biden administration’s threat …

TikTok star urges US to force sale after witnessing 'terrifying' algorithm amid Israel-Palestine war
8 months ago

TikTok star urges US to force sale after witnessing 'terrifying' algorithm amid Israel-Palestine war

Hindustan Times  

Imagine speaking out against the platform that enables you to earn a living. This comes on the heels of White House representatives passing a bill that could lead to a permanent TikTok ban in America. White House passes the bill, threatens to ban TikTok The world’s most popular musical video service, which has been accused of spreading ‘Hamas hate speech …

America is a step closer to banning TikTok, but will it work?
8 months ago

America is a step closer to banning TikTok, but will it work?

ABC  

In short: The US House has again passed a bill that would force Chinese owners of TikTok to sell or face a ban. The US House has again passed a bill that would force Chinese owners of TikTok to sell or face a ban. If it passes and is signed by President Joe Biden, which he has said he would …

The Biden administration might ban TikTok. These Latinx small-business owners are worried
8 months, 1 week ago

The Biden administration might ban TikTok. These Latinx small-business owners are worried

LA Times  

After years of dreaming, Ruben Trujillo had finally launched his own business. According to a recent study conducted by consulting firm Oxford Economics and funded by TikTok, 43% of Latinx entrepreneurs said the social media platform is critical to their business’ existence. Jaz and Sam Sears of AZ Taco King — a Mexican restaurant chain in Arizona — said that …

How a TikTok ban could hurt small businesses
8 months, 4 weeks ago

How a TikTok ban could hurt small businesses

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — If content creators and corporate executives made TikTok videos about the platform’s possible U.S. demise, disco diva Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” could supply the soundtrack. Even though Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts provide competition, they haven’t cracked the magic formula of a TikTok video in driving sales, Enberg said. “I think the impact will be felt …

China Signals Opposition to Forced Sale of TikTok in the U.S.
9 months, 1 week ago

China Signals Opposition to Forced Sale of TikTok in the U.S.

Live Mint  

SINGAPORE—The Chinese government is signaling that it won’t allow a forced sale of TikTok, limiting options for the app’s owners as buyers begin lining up to bid for its U.S. operations. During a routine news conference on Thursday, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Commerce said the U.S. should “stop unreasonably suppressing" TikTok, adding: “The relevant party should strictly abide …

ByteDance: TikTok’s parent company, which is under fire in the US
9 months, 1 week ago

ByteDance: TikTok’s parent company, which is under fire in the US

Firstpost  

ByteDance, best known in most countries as the creator of TikTok, grew from its humble beginnings in a Beijing apartment 12 years ago to become one of the world’s largest technology companies. Representative Mike Gallagher told NPR, “What we’re after is, it’s not a ban, it’s a forced separation.” “The TikTok user experience can continue and improve so long as …

TikTok violates Indonesian in-app transactions ban, says minister
10 months ago

TikTok violates Indonesian in-app transactions ban, says minister

The Hindu  

Chinese short video app TikTok is still violating Indonesia's rule that bans in-app transactions, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday, after it took control of the country's biggest e-commerce platform to restart its online shopping business. TikTok had been forced to close its relatively new e-commerce service, TikTok Shop, in Indonesia after the country banned online shopping on social media …

TikTok reenters Indonesia with GoTo deal
10 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok reenters Indonesia with GoTo deal

China Daily  

Visitors participate in a promotional event held by Douyin, known as TikTok overseas, in Beijing. Short-video app TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company Byte-Dance, has completed its deal to take control of Tokopedia, an e-commerce unit of Indonesia's biggest internet and tech firm PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk. The move came after TikTok halted its online retail operations in Indonesia …

TikTok owner ByteDance's chief warns against mediocrity as AI brings disruption
10 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok owner ByteDance's chief warns against mediocrity as AI brings disruption

The Hindu  

ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo warned employees at a company-wide meeting on Tuesday that the TikTok owner risks becoming complacent and slipping into mediocrity as it faces challenges from newer startups. Liang said the Beijing-based company's rapid expansion in recent years had made it less efficient, and it had not paid enough attention to groundbreaking artificial intelligence technology, according to a …

Chinese app TikTok cuts 60 jobs, but affected employees have a reason to cheer
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Chinese app TikTok cuts 60 jobs, but affected employees have a reason to cheer

Hindustan Times  

Chinese short video app TikTok is laying off 60 employees, joining several tech firms that have resorted to job cuts in the new year. According to job cuts tracker layoffs.fyi, more than 10,000 employees across several tech companies have lost their jobs in the layoffs in the beginning of 2024. Online marketplace EBay said it will trim 1,000 jobs or …

TikTok Strikes Back in Indonesia
1 year ago

TikTok Strikes Back in Indonesia

Live Mint  

The Indonesian government executed its crackdown on “social shopping" in the name of protecting local small businesses. The viral short-video platform, owned by China’s Bytedance, agreed to combine its nascent TikTok Shop operations in Indonesia with GoTo’s e-commerce subsidiary Tokopedia on Monday. Indonesia’s largest internet company doesn’t get any upfront cash, since the injection from TikTok will go into the …

TikTok to invest $1.5 bln in GoTo's Indonesia e-commerce business
1 year ago

TikTok to invest $1.5 bln in GoTo's Indonesia e-commerce business

The Hindu  

TikTok will take a controlling stake in an e-commerce unit of Indonesia's biggest tech firm PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia, a partnership that will see the short video app invest $1.5 billion over the long term, the two companies said on Monday. The deal comes after Indonesia in October banned online shopping on social media platforms to protect smaller merchants and …

Why TikTok is dangerously good at making you spend money
1 year ago

Why TikTok is dangerously good at making you spend money

LA Times  

As I was scrolling through TikTok the other day, I received a text from a friend. Los Angeles creator Dina Asprer said she doesn’t consider herself an “influencer” or a “TikTok person” but had always been passionate about Korean skincare, having lived in South Korea for five years after college. It’s incredible.” Although he already had viral plant videos on …

Game Over: TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to fire hundreds as it exits gaming sector in major retreat
1 year ago

Game Over: TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to fire hundreds as it exits gaming sector in major retreat

Firstpost  

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok is making a hasty retreat out of the global gaming industry in a bid to cuts its losses. Seen as one of the biggest tech investment failures in recent history, ByteDance is set to fire hundreds of employees from its gaming brand Nuverse ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is set to make a …

TikTok says 1.5m UK businesses now using the platform
1 year, 1 month ago

TikTok says 1.5m UK businesses now using the platform

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nearly 1.5 million UK firms …

TikTok, YouTube, Meta eye Indonesia e-commerce licenses- sources
1 year, 1 month ago

TikTok, YouTube, Meta eye Indonesia e-commerce licenses- sources

The Hindu  

JAKARTA, Oct 26 - TikTok and YouTube are considering joining Meta in applying for e-commerce licenses in Indonesia after Southeast Asia's largest economy banned online shopping on social media platforms, people familiar with the discussions said. Indonesia's trade ministry banned e-commerce transactions on social media a month ago, saying it sought to protect small and midsize offline merchants and marketplaces, …

TikTok ends retail business in Indonesia after ban on social media shopping
1 year, 2 months ago

TikTok ends retail business in Indonesia after ban on social media shopping

Associated Press  

JAKARTA, Indonesia — TikTok said it will halt its online retail operation in Indonesia on Wednesday to comply with the country’s decision to ban e-commerce transactions on social media platforms — a big blow to the video platform’s fastest-growing market. Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the ban aims to “prevent the domination of the algorithm and prevent the use …

TikTok Shop Indonesia stops to comply with the country's ban of e-commerce on social media platforms
1 year, 2 months ago

TikTok Shop Indonesia stops to comply with the country's ban of e-commerce on social media platforms

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails 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 {{ …

TikTok says it regrets Indonesia's decision to ban e-commerce sales on social media platforms
1 year, 2 months ago

TikTok says it regrets Indonesia's decision to ban e-commerce sales on social media platforms

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Chinese-owned app TikTok on Thursday …

TikTok Shop launches in the U.S. as the company bets big on e-commerce
1 year, 3 months ago

TikTok Shop launches in the U.S. as the company bets big on e-commerce

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — After months of testing, TikTok is fully launching its e-commerce product in the U.S. in an effort to translate the app’s cultural relevance among young consumers to sales. The company said Tuesday its shopping wing, called TikTok Shop, will include several features such as a “Shop Tab,” a marketplace its been testing on the app since August; …

TikTok’s new Amazon copycat is full of cheap Chinese goods
1 year, 3 months ago

TikTok’s new Amazon copycat is full of cheap Chinese goods

LA Times  

TikTok Shop will be competing with Amazon.com to sell a target of $20 billion in merchandise this year, according to Bloomberg. The social media app’s Shop option, prominently displayed between the “For You” and “Following” feeds where users watch videos, presents a never-ending scroll of “recommended” random products, according to an early version reviewed by Bloomberg, including a $2.99 Nike …

How TikTokers make you spend
1 year, 4 months ago

How TikTokers make you spend

BBC  

Why are TikTok creators so good at making people buy things? Source credibility “Video-based platforms like TikTok and Instagram have tremendously changed the way that we consumers make our purchasing decisions,” says Valeria Penttinen, assistant professor in marketing at Northen Illinois University, US. “Parasocial relationships are so strong that people are moved to buy,” says Scheinbaum, both in terms of …

Chinese livestreamers set their sights on TikTok sales to shoppers in the US and Europe
1 year, 5 months ago

Chinese livestreamers set their sights on TikTok sales to shoppers in the US and Europe

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails 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. “I wanted to try livestreaming …

Chinese livestreamers set their sights on TikTok sales to shoppers in the US and Europe
1 year, 5 months ago

Chinese livestreamers set their sights on TikTok sales to shoppers in the US and Europe

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — Chinese livestreamers have set their sights on TikTok shoppers in the U.S. and Europe, hawking everything from bags and apparel to crystals with their eyes on a potentially lucrative market, despite uncertainties over the platform’s future in the U.S. and elsewhere. “I wanted to try livestreaming on TikTok because it aligned with my experiences as an English …

Apple opens store on China's WeChat platform
1 year, 5 months ago

Apple opens store on China's WeChat platform

The Hindu  

Tencent's WeChat said on Tuesday that iPhone maker Apple had opened a store on its social media platform, marking an expansion of the U.S. firm's retail channels in the world's second largest economy. The announcement by WeChat, China's dominant messaging app which also provides e-commerce, livestreaming, and payment services, said users would be able to buy Apple products including iPhones, …

TikTok was ‘propaganda tool’ for Chinese Communist Party, lawsuit claims
1 year, 7 months ago

TikTok was ‘propaganda tool’ for Chinese Communist Party, lawsuit claims

The Telegraph  

The app has sought to allay fears that it could be used as a spying or propaganda tool by Beijing, saying it does not store data in the country and has restricted Chinese staff from accessing overseas data. Mr Yu’s claims relate to how ByteDance operated before he was dismissed almost five years ago, and before TikTok became one of …

Gap grows between TikTok users, lawmakers on potential ban
1 year, 8 months ago

Gap grows between TikTok users, lawmakers on potential ban

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — On the one side are dozens of lawmakers on Capitol Hill issuing dire warnings about security breaches and possible Chinese surveillance. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said during a nearly six-hour congressional hearing Thursday that the platform has never turned over user data to the Chinese government, and wouldn’t do so if asked. “America has the most …

For some, TikTok is a path to riches and the American dream. With a ban, it could all disappear
1 year, 8 months ago

For some, TikTok is a path to riches and the American dream. With a ban, it could all disappear

LA Times  

A U.S. ban of TikTok would be a devastating blow to many of the small businesses that have turned to the app to build audiences and customer bases instead of pricey marketing campaigns. “A part of what people have done on this app is created their own slice of the American dream that is preached so much about,” said Wyman, …

TikTok intensifies PR campaign ahead of CEO's Capitol Hill testimony
1 year, 9 months ago

TikTok intensifies PR campaign ahead of CEO's Capitol Hill testimony

Hindustan Times  

TikTok is intensifying its public-relations blitz days before its chief executive officer testifies on Capitol Hill this week, but congressional aides say there’s little he can say that will convince lawmakers the app can be insulated from Chinese influence. The company bought ads in the Washington Metro system, at Union Station and in the Washington Post, and A four-page color …

TikTok to tell U.S. Congress it has 150 million monthly active U.S. users
1 year, 9 months ago

TikTok to tell U.S. Congress it has 150 million monthly active U.S. users

The Hindu  

TikTok said on Monday the short-video sharing app now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from the 100 million it said it had in 2020. The app faces growing pressure from the President Joe Biden's administration and lawmakers including calls to ban the app by many in Congress who fear its U.S. user data could …

TikTok creators contemplate life after possible ban: ‘It all can be taken away’
1 year, 9 months ago

TikTok creators contemplate life after possible ban: ‘It all can be taken away’

Live Mint  

A TikTok ban wouldn’t put Carrie Deming’s bookstore out of business, she said, “but it would make paying the bills a lot harder." Ms. Deming heads to TikTok daily, posting videos of book reviews and highlighting new titles at the store she owns, The Dog Eared Book in Palmyra, N.Y. People have stopped in from as far away as Norway …

The Push to Ban TikTok in the US Isn’t About Privacy
1 year, 10 months ago

The Push to Ban TikTok in the US Isn’t About Privacy

Wired  

Fresh off their successful effort to ban TikTok on government devices last year, China hawks in the US Congress are looking to expand that ban further, even as lawmakers continue allowing US companies to scoop up Americans’ data and share or sell it with third parties—potentially including China’s government. Or use an app that’s on the phone of 60 million …

The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok
54 years, 11 months ago

The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok

Wired  

Here is how platforms die: First, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Prime customers start their shopping on Amazon, and 90 percent of the time, they don't search anywhere else. That tempted in …

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