Browsing Tag
TikTok
29 posts
TikTok to spend billions in SE Asia as e-commerce move pays off
TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew announced plans to invest billions in Southeast Asia, riding on the success of the company’s e-commerce branch, TikTok Shop. In just a year,
TikTok Shop has made significant market share gains in the region, amassing a gross merchandise value of $4.4 billion in 2022 from $600,000 in 2021.
The growth has been attributed to the app’s captive audience and aggressive expansion in markets with large TikTok user bases.
TikTok sues to stop ban in US state of Montana
TikTok has filed a lawsuit in US federal court to prevent Montana from implementing a ban on the video-sharing app, citing a violation of free speech rights.
The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, is seen as an infringement on constitutional protections. TikTok users and the company argue that the ban exceeds the state’s authority and interferes with national security matters.
The legal cases are expected to progress quickly as they revolve around points of law rather than extensive evidence gathering.
Montana becomes first US state to ban TikTok
Montana has become the first U.S. state to ban TikTok, with the law set to take effect next year. The ban, signed into law by Governor Greg Gianforte, will be a test for a potential national ban on the Chinese-owned app. The move is expected to face legal challenges and has been criticized for infringing on free speech rights.
TikTok has been accused of being a tool for Chinese espionage, allegations the company denies.
TikTok parent to ‘vigorously’ fight former US exec allegations
Chinese company ByteDance, owner of TikTok, plans to fight allegations that it fired an executive for exposing its “culture of lawlessness.”
Yintao Yu filed a lawsuit claiming ByteDance stole videos from rival platforms, but the company denies the allegations. Critics argue that TikTok allows Beijing to collect user data and manipulate opinions, a claim ByteDance refutes.
The issue of data access has raised concerns among US authorities, but TikTok insists that user data is stored only on US-based servers.
ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, accused of “Culture of Lawlessness” in a lawsuit filed by former employee
In a lawsuit, former ByteDance engineering head, Yu Yintao, accuses the TikTok parent company of a “culture of lawlessness,” including content theft and manipulation.
Yu alleges ByteDance served as a propaganda tool for the Chinese Communist Party and manipulated user data, amid rising global concerns over TikTok’s ties to China and potential threats to data privacy and national security.
ByteDance denies the allegations, calling them “baseless.”
Austria bans TikTok on government work phones
Austria announced a ban on TikTok for federal employees’ work phones, citing security concerns.
The decision follows advice from intelligence services and ministry experts. Several other countries, including the US, UK, Australia, France, and the Netherlands, have also taken similar measures.
TikTok has been scrutinized due to its Chinese ownership and concerns about data privacy and national security.
Indonesian TikToker criticizes Lampung Province’s governance, receives backlash and family harassment
Awbimax Reborn, a TikToker and university student in Australia, criticized the infrastructure, education, governance, and over-reliance on agriculture in Lampung Province, Indonesia.
His recent video drew attention and controversy as it went viral, and allegedly, he faced intimidation from local authorities as a result.
Montana lawmakers vote to ban TikTok in US state
Lawmakers in Montana voted in favour of a total ban on TikTok due to accusations that the app is a tool of the Chinese Communist Party.
The bill would require Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores and impose daily fines of US$10,000 for violations.
The proposed ban would take effect in 2024 and faces almost certain legal challenges, given its unprecedented nature in the United States. This bill is the latest conflict in the ongoing feud between TikTok and several Western governments.
TikTok faces ban in Montana as US backlash continues
The US state of Montana is set to pass a proposal for a complete ban on TikTok. The law, which would take effect in 2024, would be unprecedented in the United States and test the legal waters for a national ban of the Chinese-owned app.
Under the proposed law, Apple and Google would have to remove TikTok from their app stores and companies would face daily fines of $10,000 if found in violation.
The move is part of a battle of wills between TikTok and the US government, with the White House having already issued an ultimatum that the app must split from its Chinese owners or stop operating in America.
However, legal challenges are likely, with the proposed ban potentially going all the way to the Supreme Court in Washington.
