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BookTok has become the most influential platform in the literary space, but it might not be around for long.
The company made the announcement on Thursday.
The bill in question, which President Joe Biden signed Wednesday, gives Chinese parent company ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok or face a ban on app stores to distribute the app in the U.S. The law received strong bipartisan support in the House and a majority Senate vote Tuesday, and is part of broader legislation including military aid for Israel and Ukraine. Many who sponsored the bill admit that a TikTok ban is their ultimate goal...It's actually ironic because the freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom.
President Biden has signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year. The bill, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, was passed by the U.S. Senate in a 79-18 vote late Tuesday after the House passed it with overwhelming majority over the weekend. The bill gives ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok, with a 90-day extension available to complete a deal.
TikTok's fate in the U.S. looks uncertain after President Joe Biden signed a bill that included a deadline for ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to divest itself of TikTok within nine months or face a ban on distributing it in the U.S. Ivan writes about how the impact of TikTok bans in other countries could signal what’s to come stateside. California drones grounded: In more Amazon news, the tech giant confirmed that it's ending Prime Air drone delivery operations in Lockeford, California.
A bill that could ban TikTok is now all but certain to become law. The Senate approved a measure that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban.
As a TikTok ban gets closer to becoming a reality in the United States, it might be time to start thinking about other platforms to adopt early in case you need to fill the void left by the popular app, especially as recent reports have suggested that ByteDance would prefer to shut down TikTok rather than sell it. On April 24, President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell the app within a year, bringing the possibility of a TikTok ban closer than ever before. If the company is unable to fight the legislation and its legal efforts fail, reports indicate that a sale of TikTok with its algoritms would be highly unlikely because the app's algorithms are core to ByteDance’s overall operations.
The biggest news stories this morning: X, for some reason, has a TV app now, The best travel gear for graduates, Adobe Photoshop’s latest beta makes AI-generated images from simple text prompts.
As part of its Q1 2024 earning release, Snap revealed that total watch time on its TikTok competitor, Spotlight, increased more than 125% year-over-year. The company is touting the success of its short-from video feed a day after President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year. Snap says overall time spent watching content globally grew year-over-year, driven primarily by increases in total time spent watching Spotlight and creator Stories.
Biden passed the TikTok divestment bill -- now what?
The EU has effectively vanquished a TikTok feature that Europe’s digital commissioner described as “toxic” and “addictive as cigarettes.” TikTok owner ByteDance said on Wednesday that TikTok Lite’s reward-to-watch feature would be suspended.
President Biden seems to be struggling with young voters in 2024, yet he's still willing to endanger one of their beloved social media platforms.
The biggest news stories this morning include US vs China in the form of TikTok vs WhatsApp, and did you know Taylor Swift has a new album out?
TikTok owner ByteDance is facing fresh questions about its compliance with the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), an online governance and content moderation framework that puts a legal obligation on larger platforms to mitigate systemic risks in areas like youth mental health. This is a version of the video sharing app which recently launched ("test launched", per TikTok) in France and Spain -- letting users over 18 years old there earn points for certain in-app activities, such as liking content or following new creators. TikTok says these points can be redeemed for gift cards or "coins" that can be gifted to creators.
In an effort to capture more ad dollars, despite the looming U.S. ban, TikTok is introducing new advertising products and opportunities that will allow marketers to better control what sort of content their ads appear against. The company says it will use generative AI to curate trending, brand-safe content; expand its selection of "tentpole" moments, like the Paris Olympics and Met Gala; and allow advertisers to buy slots with specific networks and content offerings. The company introduced the "Pulse Premiere" ad slot last year, and it is now adding new partners to it.
A controversial push by European Union lawmakers to legally require messaging platforms to scan citizens' private communications for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) could lead to millions of false positives per day, hundreds of security and privacy experts warned in an open letter Thursday. Concern over the EU proposal has been building since the Commission proposed the CSAM-scanning plan two years ago -- with independent experts, lawmakers across the European Parliament and even the bloc's own Data Protection Supervisor among those sounding the alarm.
Smart is set to make $13 million in 2024 and his contract now goes through 2033.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are declining the fifth-year option for running back Najee Harris, making him a free agent after the 2024 season.
Jake Fischer and Dan Devine recap last night’s Mavericks win over the Clippers and wonder what comes next for the Heat, Suns and 76ers.
TikTok and Universal Music Group have signed a deal that will allow Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and other artists to return to the platform.
