Big-Money Political Groups And Influencers Are Circumventing TikTok’s Ad Ban
3 years, 6 months ago

Big-Money Political Groups And Influencers Are Circumventing TikTok’s Ad Ban

Huff Post  

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Since banning political ads in late 2019, TikTok has presented itself as an entertainment-only space to “inspire creativity and build joy.” But the viral video-sharing app is still home to content that’s quietly funded by partisan groups, according to a new report. make the platform vulnerable to abuse by political groups and other malicious actors.” Launched in 2016 by Chinese tech behemoth ByteDance, TikTok has exploded in popularity in the U.S. As with other social media platforms, it hosts two main types of ads: those placed through the app itself, in which brands pay TikTok to feature their content, and those brokered off-platform between brands and influencers, for which TikTok receives no payment. Until recently, the app’s only stated requirement for ads brokered between brands and influencers was that posters insert the hashtag #Ad into their “Political advertising is not allowed on TikTok, and we continue to invest in people and technology to consistently enforce this policy and build tools for creators on our platform,” a TikTok spokesperson told HuffPost. But unlike TikTok, other social networking apps have developed tools to drastically increase transparency in this area, such as Instagram’s “branded content tag,” which conspicuously displays a label at the top of TikTok also lacks a publicly searchable ad library, which would allow journalists, researchers and watchdogs to scrutinize ads and understand who’s paying for what.

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History of this topic

Trump meets TikTok CEO as platform fights US ban
1 week ago

Trump meets TikTok CEO as platform fights US ban

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 reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew …

TikTok being investigated after suspected meddling in Romania's presidential election
1 week, 1 day ago

TikTok being investigated after suspected meddling in Romania's presidential election

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy European Union regulators said Tuesday they're investigating whether TikTok breached the …

A U.S. TikTok ban is nearing for social media app after another court defeat
2 weeks, 3 days ago

A U.S. TikTok ban is nearing for social media app after another court defeat

LA Times  

A man carries a “Free TikTok” sign in front of the courthouse where the hush-money trial of Donald Trump got underway April 15 in New York. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend: Wildly popular Chinese social media app TikTok loses again in court, faces looming ban Perhaps no social media application more accurately provides insights into …

TikTok lost a major legal bid to avoid a U.S. ban. Now what?
2 weeks, 5 days 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
2 weeks, 6 days 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, …

From “satisfactory” to “problematic”: How Congress crushed free speech in 2024
3 weeks, 1 day ago

From “satisfactory” to “problematic”: How Congress crushed free speech in 2024

Salon  

A 2024 Pew Research Center poll found that a remarkable 73 percent of adult Americans believe a free press is either extremely or very important to the well-being of society—though only a third of those polled believe that US media are completely free to report news. Citing reports by the Associated Press and the Columbia Journalism Review, the Pew Research …

Court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok

NPR  

Court upholds a U.S. ban on TikTok toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a law banning TikTok nationwide unless the viral video app was sold off by its China-based parent company, rejecting TikTok's claim that the crackdown violates the free speech rights of millions of Americans. In its ruling, the court said that it …

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

Profiteers Are Exploiting US Election Conspiracies and Hate to Make Millions
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Profiteers Are Exploiting US Election Conspiracies and Hate to Make Millions

Wired  

This story was copublished in partnership with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. “Make cats safe again” read the MAGA-style baseball caps perched on the heads of five AI-generated felines printed on a black T-shirt alongside a Trump 2024 banner. United Patriot is one of four ecommerce companies identified by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism that have been advertising merchandise, often …

Misinformation-Packed Ads Thriving On Facebook Just Days Out From The Election
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Misinformation-Packed Ads Thriving On Facebook Just Days Out From The Election

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Several recent media investigations have found that false and misleading election ads are running rampant on Facebook just days out from the election, seemingly in violation of parent company Meta’s policies. Meta did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s inquiries as to whether these ads violate the company’s election misinformation policies, but spokesperson Ryan Daniels defended running Musk’s …

Poll: More turning to TikTok for news in US
3 months, 1 week 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 …

TikTok Has a Nazi Problem
4 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok Has a Nazi Problem

Wired  

Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are sharing Hitler-related propaganda and trying to recruit new members on TikTok, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue shared exclusively with WIRED. The report from ISD details how hundreds of extremist TikTok accounts are openly posting videos promoting Holocaust denial and the glorification of Hitler and Nazi-era Germany, and suggesting that …

This country banned TikTok. What became of its influencers?
5 months, 2 weeks ago

This country banned TikTok. What became of its influencers?

LA Times  

Is there life after TikTok? “When it got banned, I had nothing,” recalled Gaurav Jain, who was one of the country’s more than 200 million TikTok users. “I don’t think the average TikTok user has synthesized in their brain that this is going away,” said Lawrence Vincent, associate professor of the practice of marketing at USC’s Marshall School of Business. …

Racial justice, free speech groups join fight against potential TikTok ban
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Racial justice, free speech groups join fight against potential TikTok ban

Associated Press  

A dozen social and racial justice groups said Thursday that the federal effort to require a sale or ban of TikTok would suppress speech from minority communities by disrupting a critical tool many use to establish connections online and advocate for causes. Thursday is the deadline for third-party groups to file documents supporting the social video platform and eight TikTok …

If Biden is going after TikTok, expect Trump to back the app
6 months ago

If Biden is going after TikTok, expect Trump to back the app

China Daily  

This combination of pictures created on March 6, 2024 shows US President Joe Biden and former US president Donald Trump. In response to a question in a 30-second video on June 7, former US president Donald Trump said he would never ban TikTok, a major reversal from his earlier ambiguous stand toward the app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance. On …

The side-effects of the TikTok tussle
6 months, 1 week ago

The side-effects of the TikTok tussle

Hindustan Times  

JOE BIDEN’S re-election campaign wants you to know that the president is funny. It deems TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese firm, to be controlled by a “foreign adversary” and to be a national-security threat. They argue that divestment is “simply not possible” and Congress is “singling out and banning TikTok”, in violation of the First Amendment rights …

TikTok cyberattack targets CNN, Paris Hilton and other high-profile accounts
6 months, 2 weeks 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 …

'It's an honour': Trump joins Tiktok after once trying to ban platform, instantly gets 3 million followers
6 months, 3 weeks ago

'It's an honour': Trump joins Tiktok after once trying to ban platform, instantly gets 3 million followers

India TV News  

Washington: Former US President and Republican presidential contender Donald Trump officially joined the China-owned short video-sharing platform TikTok, after once trying to ban the app during his term in the White House. "It's an honour," Trump said in the TikTok video, which features footage of him waving to fans and posing for selfies at the Ultimate Fighting Championship fight in …

Trump joins TikTok and calls it ‘an honor.’ As president he once tried to ban the video-sharing app
6 months, 3 weeks 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 …

U.K. parties face-off on TikTok battleground
6 months, 3 weeks ago

U.K. parties face-off on TikTok battleground

The Hindu  

On the face of it, the villain from "Shrek", British singer-turned-TV presenter Cilla Black, and national service has nothing in common. One Labour TikTok post uses a clip from the movie "Shrek" showing the diminutive villain Lord Farquaad saying "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make". Currently ahead of both the Tories and …

US activists worry about ‘losing major asset’ TikTok as potential ban looms
6 months, 3 weeks 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 …

What’s behind the anti-Biden ‘wildfire’ among TikTok influencers
6 months, 3 weeks ago

What’s behind the anti-Biden ‘wildfire’ among TikTok influencers

LA Times  

President Biden has been courting Kahlil Greene and other young TikTok influencers since taking office, inviting them to celebrations at the White House and policy briefings on Zoom, where Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been known to pop in. Biden’s reputation on TikTok was dismal in the summer of 2020, according to Daniel Daks, who consulted for the …

TikTok curbs state-affiliated media amid foreign influence fears
7 months 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, 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 …

TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media platform
7 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media 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 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 sues US to block law that could ban the social media platform
7 months, 2 weeks 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 …

TikTok sues U.S. government, saying ban violates 1st Amendment
7 months, 2 weeks ago

TikTok sues U.S. government, saying ban violates 1st Amendment

LA Times  

TikTok is suing the U.S. government, accusing it of violating its right to free speech. TikTok, the popular social video app, sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, saying the country’s new law that could ban the app violates 1st Amendment rights to free speech. TikTok and ByteDance said in the court filing that it had been trying since 2019 to …

Most Americans see TikTok as a Chinese influence tool,...
7 months, 3 weeks 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 …

The TikTok Ultimatum Is Here. What Does It Mean?
54 years, 11 months ago

The TikTok Ultimatum Is Here. What Does It Mean?

Wired  

Makena Kelly: The Washington Post said that he had a lot to do with RFK Jr.'s TikTok content, but he was doing this content way, way, way before Link was even ever involved. Even media outlets get excited about the campaign because they know people are going to cover it and they know people are going to want to get …

Joe Biden accused of hypocrisy over signing of TikTok ban bill, critics ask him to delete campaign account
8 months ago

Joe Biden accused of hypocrisy over signing of TikTok ban bill, critics ask him to delete campaign account

Hindustan Times  

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a bill that would potentially force Chinese TikTok parent firm ByteDance to divest the social media platform within nine months or face a nationwide ban in the country. Biden campaign will continue to use TikTok, faces backlash According to Biden's 2024 reelection campaign, it would keep using TikTok to engage voters ahead of …

U.S. President Biden signs bill that will see TikTok sold or banned next year
8 months ago

U.S. President Biden signs bill that will see TikTok sold or banned next year

The Hindu  

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a bill forcing TikTok’s Chinese parent ByteDance to divest ownership of the app or see it banned in the next nine months, extendable by another three months if needed. Last year, several U.S. states began banning TikTok in government employees’ work devices, though sweeping bans on private usage were not successful in court. …

Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway
8 months ago

Biden just signed a bill that could ban TikTok. His campaign plans to stay on the app anyway

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — When President Joe Biden showed off his putting during a campaign stop at a public golf course in Michigan last month, the moment was captured on TikTok. “There’s a core hypocrisy to the Biden administration supporting the TikTok ban while at the same time using TikTok for his campaign purposes,” said Kahlil Greene, who has more than 650,000 …

This Is the Beginning of the End of TikTok
54 years, 11 months ago

This Is the Beginning of the End of TikTok

Wired  

TikTok might not be around much longer in the US. “Even as our social media platforms have fumbled in their response to foreign influence operations, there was never any concern that these platforms are operating at the direction of foreign adversaries,” Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said ahead of the vote on Tuesday. Last month, the House …

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 …

The House votes for possible TikTok ban in the U.S., but don’t expect the app to go away any time soon
8 months ago

The House votes for possible TikTok ban in the U.S., but don’t expect the app to go away any time soon

LA Times  

The TikTok Inc. building in Culver City. The House has passed legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media platform’s China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake within a year, but don’t expect the app to go away any time soon. The U.S. government has not publicly provided evidence that shows TikTok shared U.S. user …

The House votes for possible TikTok ban in the US, but don’t expect the app to go away anytime soon
8 months ago

The House votes for possible TikTok ban in the US, but don’t expect the app to go away anytime soon

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation Saturday that would ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media platform’s China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake within a year, but don’t expect the app to go away anytime soon. The U.S. government has not publicly provided evidence that shows TikTok shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government or …

Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid package
8 months ago

Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid package

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake won a major boost late Wednesday when House Republican leaders included it in a package of bills that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. Alex Haurek, a spokesman for the company, said in a statement Thursday that “It is unfortunate that …

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 …

TikTok ban bill update: Why Donald Trump and the Club for Growth are killing it.
8 months, 3 weeks ago

TikTok ban bill update: Why Donald Trump and the Club for Growth are killing it.

Slate  

Only a couple of resounding things came from the 2024 Republican presidential debate cycle: that none of its participants would be this year’s Republican presidential nominee, and that the party loathes TikTok. In early March, Trump spoke at a donor retreat for the powerful, conservative, and lavishly funded outside spending group Club for Growth, an organization that is one of …

TikTok ban ‘must be stopped’ to protect free speech, digital rights group says
9 months ago

TikTok ban ‘must be stopped’ to protect free speech, digital rights group 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 A total ban of Tiktok in the US would be unconstitutional and severely …

TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized
9 months, 1 week ago

TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized

Hindustan Times  

Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job. Pearlman is among the many TikTok creators across the U.S. outraged over a bipartisan bill passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would lead to a nationwide …

TikTok Fined $11 million: Italy regulator fines TikTok $11 mln over content checks
9 months, 1 week ago

TikTok Fined $11 million: Italy regulator fines TikTok $11 mln over content checks

The Hindu  

Italy's competition watchdog has fined three units of social media giant TikTok 10 million euros in total for inadequate checks on content potentially harmful to young or vulnerable users, it said on Thursday. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, and other social media companies including Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms, are under pressure from regulators around the globe to …

Column: What would banning TikTok accomplish? Answer: Virtually nothing
9 months, 1 week ago

Column: What would banning TikTok accomplish? Answer: Virtually nothing

LA Times  

In January, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified along with other social media CEOs at a Senate hearing about their platforms’ effect on children. Its advocates cite the threat of Chinese government breaches of users’ privacy, its potential use as a conduit of Chinese anti-democratic propaganda into the U.S., its purportedly deleterious effect on its youthful users — one critic …

Senate Hits Brakes On Possible TikTok Ban
9 months, 1 week ago

Senate Hits Brakes On Possible TikTok Ban

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON ― The Senate is set to put a bipartisan proposal aiming to ban or force a sale of the popular social media app TikTok on ice, even as the legislation is set to sail through the U.S. House later this week. “If you don’t think the Chinese Communist Party can twist algorithm to make it the …

Kellyanne Conway Is Pushing Against Threats To TikTok In Congress: Reports
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Kellyanne Conway Is Pushing Against Threats To TikTok In Congress: Reports

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Kellyanne Conway, who used to serve as an aide to former President Donald Trump, is pushing back against bipartisan efforts that could lead to a potential ban of the social media app TikTok in the U.S. Not long after the meeting, Trump appeared to walk back his previous position advocating for a ban, writing on social media: …

US in saddle for another attack on TikTok: China Daily editorial
9 months, 2 weeks ago

US in saddle for another attack on TikTok: China Daily editorial

China Daily  

To its millions of users in the country, TikTok, the second most popular social media platform in the United States, is a beloved tool of fun, fortune or free speech. So after various unsuccessful attempts to restrain TikTok over the past few years, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers has introduced the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act". …

‘Other Republican candidates in professional politics say…,’ Vivek Ramaswamy
9 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Other Republican candidates in professional politics say…,’ Vivek Ramaswamy

Live Mint  

Vivek Ramaswamy once again spoke against the TikTok ban saying that ‘bashing the China-based social media platform is easy. Coming in support of Donald Trump, he noted that ‘the former president was right in opposing a legislative ban’ and further criticised ‘other Republic candidates’ saying ‘many people in professional politics say what they are supposed to say without thinking about …

Lawmakers divided on TikTok bill after Trump signals he opposes it
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Lawmakers divided on TikTok bill after Trump signals he opposes it

Daily Mail  

A bipartisan bill to cut TikTok from its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance gathered momentum this week until Donald Trump signaled he is against it, and now some lawmakers are getting cold feet. And Trump bashed the bill on social media after the bill was cleared out of committee in a 50-0 bipartisan vote, saying if TikTok is banned its rival …

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