More details are emerging about TikTok‘s impending court date. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has set a September date for oral arguments in two cases that will determine whether the federal divest-or-ban law violates the U.S. Constitution.
The September date applies to the case between TikTok and the Justice Department as well as a second lawsuit that pits an octet of creators against the U.S. Both groups of plaintiffs are looking to show that the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversaries Act (Paffaa) represents an unwarranted intrusion on First Amendment rights.
“The Act thus promises to shutter a discrete medium of communication that has become part of American life, prohibiting Petitioners from creating and disseminating expressive material with their chosen editor and publisher—and from receiving such material from others,” reads the complaint filed by the suing creators. “This extraordinary restraint on speech violates the First Amendment.
The September date applies to the case between TikTok and the Justice Department as well as a second lawsuit that pits an octet of creators against the U.S. Both groups of plaintiffs are looking to show that the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversaries Act (Paffaa) represents an unwarranted intrusion on First Amendment rights.
“The Act thus promises to shutter a discrete medium of communication that has become part of American life, prohibiting Petitioners from creating and disseminating expressive material with their chosen editor and publisher—and from receiving such material from others,” reads the complaint filed by the suing creators. “This extraordinary restraint on speech violates the First Amendment.
- 5/29/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The dispute between TikTok and the United States government is headed to the courts (again). After challenging state-level laws that sought to limit TikTok’s U.S. availability, the app is preparing to mount a legal offensive against the new federal law that attempts to force either a TikTok divestiture or a Stateside ban.
TikTok and parent company ByteDance have officially filed federal lawsuits that will contest the legality of the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversaries Act, as the newly-signed law is known. These legal actions have raised several issues related to the law; for starters, TikTok is arguing that the “obviously unconstitutional” regulation restricts Americans’ right to expression and unfairly targets one specific entity.
“Congress has taken the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok: a vibrant online forum for protected speech and expression used by 170 million Americans to create, share, and view videos over the Internet,...
TikTok and parent company ByteDance have officially filed federal lawsuits that will contest the legality of the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversaries Act, as the newly-signed law is known. These legal actions have raised several issues related to the law; for starters, TikTok is arguing that the “obviously unconstitutional” regulation restricts Americans’ right to expression and unfairly targets one specific entity.
“Congress has taken the unprecedented step of expressly singling out and banning TikTok: a vibrant online forum for protected speech and expression used by 170 million Americans to create, share, and view videos over the Internet,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Is the Met Gala more for art or fashion? Maybe it’s just for all those celebrities. Or maybe it’s for us. Whoever it’s for, it’s back! This year’s official co-chairs are Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth, as well Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who’s co-chaired the event every year since 1995. Honorary chairs for this year include TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Jonathan Anderson, creative director of the fashion label Loewe. Celebrating the new costume exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”, the theme for this year’s Met Gala is “The Garden of Time.” Scroll below for a look at some fantasy-inspired fashion from your favorite celebrities.
- 5/6/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
TikTok and Universal Music Group (Umg) have settled their dispute. The two parties have agreed on a new licensing agreement that will return the latter company’s catalog — including songs from Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Billie Eilish — to TikTok’s music library.
Tracks from Umg artists were muted on TikTok for three months as a result of an ongoing disagreement between the “big three” label and ByteDance’s buzzy video app. In February, Umg insisted that TikTok had to address “three critical issues” before a new deal could be reached. Those sticking points included concerns about AI, TikTok’s lowball offer during negotiations, and the “content adjacency issues” that pop up when music is paired with offensive content.
A new “multi-dimensional” agreement between TikTok and Umg will alleviate those concerns. The new deal prioritizes improved remuneration for Umg’s songwriters and artists while offering promotional opportunities and protections against AI.
Tracks from Umg artists were muted on TikTok for three months as a result of an ongoing disagreement between the “big three” label and ByteDance’s buzzy video app. In February, Umg insisted that TikTok had to address “three critical issues” before a new deal could be reached. Those sticking points included concerns about AI, TikTok’s lowball offer during negotiations, and the “content adjacency issues” that pop up when music is paired with offensive content.
A new “multi-dimensional” agreement between TikTok and Umg will alleviate those concerns. The new deal prioritizes improved remuneration for Umg’s songwriters and artists while offering promotional opportunities and protections against AI.
- 5/2/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Shou Zi Chew is responding to new U.S. policy.
On Wednesday morning (April 24), President Biden signed into law a national security bill that would force TikTok to be sold by its owner ByteDance, or else it will potentially be banned.
The TikTok CEO responded with a video, saying: “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
Keep reading to find out more…
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew said. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress.
The CEO says the bill becoming law is “a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one.”
“It’s actually ironic because the freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that...
On Wednesday morning (April 24), President Biden signed into law a national security bill that would force TikTok to be sold by its owner ByteDance, or else it will potentially be banned.
The TikTok CEO responded with a video, saying: “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
Keep reading to find out more…
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew said. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress.
The CEO says the bill becoming law is “a disappointing moment, but it does not need to be a defining one.”
“It’s actually ironic because the freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that...
- 4/24/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
On Wednesday morning, President Biden signed into law a national security bill that would force TikTok to be sold by its owner, ByteDance, or face a possible ban in the United States.
Minutes later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded with a video posted to the platform, declaring that “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew says in the video. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation signed by Biden gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. It would also keep ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, which is credited with helping the app rocket in popularity.
In his video, Chew suggests that freedom of speech will be the company’s argument against the ban,...
Minutes later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded with a video posted to the platform, declaring that “rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice,” Chew says in the video. “Politicians may say otherwise. But don’t get confused.”
The legislation signed by Biden gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok, with a possible three-month extension if a sale is in progress. It would also keep ByteDance from controlling TikTok’s algorithm, which is credited with helping the app rocket in popularity.
In his video, Chew suggests that freedom of speech will be the company’s argument against the ban,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TikTok has officially established a coalition of young people who will strive to make the app a safer place for users under the age of 18. The ByteDance-owned video platform has announced its Youth Council, which will be comprised of 15 teenagers who hail from across the globe.
The Youth Council was born out of a partnership between TikTok and Praesidio Safeguarding, an online safety agency. The 15 members of the initial cohort are all between the ages of 15 and 18, and they hail from a diverse list of home countries that includes the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Morocco.
TikTok first revealed its intention to establish a Youth Council last June. According to a TikTok Newsroom post, the group convened for the first time in December 2023. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was present at the Youth Council’s second get-together.
“Today we’re announcing the launch of TikTok’s global Youth Council,...
The Youth Council was born out of a partnership between TikTok and Praesidio Safeguarding, an online safety agency. The 15 members of the initial cohort are all between the ages of 15 and 18, and they hail from a diverse list of home countries that includes the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Morocco.
TikTok first revealed its intention to establish a Youth Council last June. According to a TikTok Newsroom post, the group convened for the first time in December 2023. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was present at the Youth Council’s second get-together.
“Today we’re announcing the launch of TikTok’s global Youth Council,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
President Joe Biden, appearing at one of DC’s oldest traditions, the Gridiron Dinner, made some sharp quips about Donald Trump but then turned serious about the threat that his rival poses to democracy.
Biden directed his barbs at his own age and at his predecessor.
“One candidate’s too old and mentally unfit to be president,” Biden said. “The other guy’s me.”
The dinner tradition, which dates to the 19th century, is a white-tie night that routinely draws the top echelons of government, media and business to watch journalists perform musical skits and politicians, also including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Utah Governor Spencer Cox, do some of their own standup.
Biden noted that his student debt relief program “doesn’t apply to everyone. Just yesterday, a defeated-looking man came up and said, “I’m being crushed by debt. I’m completely wiped out.” I said, ‘Sorry, Donald I can’t help out.
Biden directed his barbs at his own age and at his predecessor.
“One candidate’s too old and mentally unfit to be president,” Biden said. “The other guy’s me.”
The dinner tradition, which dates to the 19th century, is a white-tie night that routinely draws the top echelons of government, media and business to watch journalists perform musical skits and politicians, also including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Utah Governor Spencer Cox, do some of their own standup.
Biden noted that his student debt relief program “doesn’t apply to everyone. Just yesterday, a defeated-looking man came up and said, “I’m being crushed by debt. I’m completely wiped out.” I said, ‘Sorry, Donald I can’t help out.
- 3/17/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: The House Energy & Commerce Committee unanimously passed legislation to compel ByteDance to divest TikTok or face having the social media platform banned on app stores or web hosting services.
The committee voted 50-o for the legislation, which now must be voted on by the full House. But Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed support for the bill.
The vote followed a lobbying effort by TikTok, including sending prompts to users urging them to contact their member of Congress to protest the legislation.
Lawmakers’ offices reported being inundated with calls, but the strategy may have backfired when it came to members of the committee.
At a markup this afternoon, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wa), the chair of the committee, said that “we witnessed first hand, in real time, how the Chinese Communist party can weaponize platforms like TikTok to manipulate the American people.” She accused the company of forcing users...
The committee voted 50-o for the legislation, which now must be voted on by the full House. But Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed support for the bill.
The vote followed a lobbying effort by TikTok, including sending prompts to users urging them to contact their member of Congress to protest the legislation.
Lawmakers’ offices reported being inundated with calls, but the strategy may have backfired when it came to members of the committee.
At a markup this afternoon, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wa), the chair of the committee, said that “we witnessed first hand, in real time, how the Chinese Communist party can weaponize platforms like TikTok to manipulate the American people.” She accused the company of forcing users...
- 3/7/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s been nearly one year since TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew visited Capitol Hill for a contentious hearing, but Congress is still trying to figure out how it wants to regulate the world’s top short-form video app. The latest proposal comes from a bipartisan group of U.S. Congresspeople, who are hoping to force ByteDance to divest TikTok.
The latest bill was introduced in the House by Mike Gallagher (R-wi) and Raja Krishnamoorthi, who are the Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi’s bill, which was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of about a dozen Congressional reps, takes on “Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications.” The list of qualifying foreign adversaries includes Iran, Russia, North Korea, and ByteDance’s home country, China.
ByteDance and TikTok are specifically named in the bill. Should the measure be signed into law,...
The latest bill was introduced in the House by Mike Gallagher (R-wi) and Raja Krishnamoorthi, who are the Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi’s bill, which was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of about a dozen Congressional reps, takes on “Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications.” The list of qualifying foreign adversaries includes Iran, Russia, North Korea, and ByteDance’s home country, China.
ByteDance and TikTok are specifically named in the bill. Should the measure be signed into law,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
TikTok would face a ban in the United States unless it severs ties to ByteDance, its parent company that has long face scrutiny and criticism for its connections to the Chinese government, under new legislation proposed by a bipartisan group of House lawmakers.
The bill, introduced today, would prevent app stores or web hosting services from TikTok applications unless it severs ties to ByteDance. The bill also gives the president a process for designating that a social media application under the control of a foreign adversary as a national security risk. ByteDance, based in China, would have about five months to divest its U.S. operations.
The legislation has the backing of Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wi) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-il), the chairman and the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Ccp.
In a statement, Gallagher said, This is my message to TikTok: break up with...
The bill, introduced today, would prevent app stores or web hosting services from TikTok applications unless it severs ties to ByteDance. The bill also gives the president a process for designating that a social media application under the control of a foreign adversary as a national security risk. ByteDance, based in China, would have about five months to divest its U.S. operations.
The legislation has the backing of Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wi) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-il), the chairman and the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Ccp.
In a statement, Gallagher said, This is my message to TikTok: break up with...
- 3/5/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
TikTok‘s leadership team is stepping up to ensure that the company makes progress in its trust and safety division. A reorganization will install Head of Operations Adam Presser as the overseer of the unit that has received scrutiny from regulators in the U.S. and abroad.
As reported by The Information, TikTok’s executive shuffle will give it more control over its trust and safety operations. Previously, that department was led by Erich Andersen, the general counsel for TikTok parent ByteDance. Presser, who took over as the leader of TikTok ops after the departure of former COO V Pappas, reports to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew rather than ByteDance CEO Rubo Liang.
After Presser’s promotion from Chief of Staff to Head of Operations, he instituted changes in his department. A reorg announced last year looked to make TikTok’s ops more efficient as the app seeks partnerships with creators,...
As reported by The Information, TikTok’s executive shuffle will give it more control over its trust and safety operations. Previously, that department was led by Erich Andersen, the general counsel for TikTok parent ByteDance. Presser, who took over as the leader of TikTok ops after the departure of former COO V Pappas, reports to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew rather than ByteDance CEO Rubo Liang.
After Presser’s promotion from Chief of Staff to Head of Operations, he instituted changes in his department. A reorg announced last year looked to make TikTok’s ops more efficient as the app seeks partnerships with creators,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
This May, Shou Zi Chew will add a new item to his list of accomplishments: He’s becoming a fashion icon. The TikTok CEO has been named as an honorary chair for the upcoming Met Gala, which will return to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6.
Chew will be one of two honorary chairs, joining Jonathan Anderson of fashion house Loewe. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has chaired the Met Gala almost every year since 1995, will lead a star-studded group of hosts in 2024. She’ll be joined at the event by co-hosts Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)
TikTok’s presence at the Gala will not be limited to its CEO’s chairing duties. The app is the title sponsor for Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, the spring exhibit put on by the Met’s Costume Institute.
Chew will be one of two honorary chairs, joining Jonathan Anderson of fashion house Loewe. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has chaired the Met Gala almost every year since 1995, will lead a star-studded group of hosts in 2024. She’ll be joined at the event by co-hosts Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)
TikTok’s presence at the Gala will not be limited to its CEO’s chairing duties. The app is the title sponsor for Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, the spring exhibit put on by the Met’s Costume Institute.
- 2/16/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya will join Vogue’s Anna Wintour as this year’s official co-chairs of the 2024 Met Gala in May, the Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed today.
The Met Gala, benefitting the museum’s Costume Institute, is set for Monday, May 6. and marks the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
According to Vogue, which posted the announcement, the gala’s honorary chairs are Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
“This year’s co-chairs reflect a variety of career achievements, and all have distinct style histories with the Met Gala,” Vogue writes. “Rapper Bad Bunny will ring in his third year attending the affair (having delivered an unforgettable backless Jacquemus suit just last year), while actor Chris Hemsworth will mark his very first time at the gala.”
Lopez, the magazine notes, is a 13-time...
The Met Gala, benefitting the museum’s Costume Institute, is set for Monday, May 6. and marks the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
According to Vogue, which posted the announcement, the gala’s honorary chairs are Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
“This year’s co-chairs reflect a variety of career achievements, and all have distinct style histories with the Met Gala,” Vogue writes. “Rapper Bad Bunny will ring in his third year attending the affair (having delivered an unforgettable backless Jacquemus suit just last year), while actor Chris Hemsworth will mark his very first time at the gala.”
Lopez, the magazine notes, is a 13-time...
- 2/15/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The co-chairs for this year’s Met Gala have been announced.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed on Feb. 15 that Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth will serve as the Costume Institute Benefit event’s co-chairs. Honorary chairs are Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
This year will mark Bad Bunny’s third year at the Met, while Hemsworth will attend his first Met as a co-host. Zendaya has attended the Met five times and Lopez is a 13-time attendee.
Just in: This year, #BadBunny, @ChrisHemsworth, @jlo, @Zendaya, and Anna Wintour will serve as this year’s official #MetGala co-chairs! Tied to the aforementioned exhibition, the dress code is “The Garden of Time.” https://t.co/69FO7LdvIV pic.twitter.com/fjCSQVpID8
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) February 15, 2024
The stars, along with Vogue’s Anna Wintour will welcome guests to the museum for an exhibition entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art revealed on Feb. 15 that Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny and Chris Hemsworth will serve as the Costume Institute Benefit event’s co-chairs. Honorary chairs are Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.
This year will mark Bad Bunny’s third year at the Met, while Hemsworth will attend his first Met as a co-host. Zendaya has attended the Met five times and Lopez is a 13-time attendee.
Just in: This year, #BadBunny, @ChrisHemsworth, @jlo, @Zendaya, and Anna Wintour will serve as this year’s official #MetGala co-chairs! Tied to the aforementioned exhibition, the dress code is “The Garden of Time.” https://t.co/69FO7LdvIV pic.twitter.com/fjCSQVpID8
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) February 15, 2024
The stars, along with Vogue’s Anna Wintour will welcome guests to the museum for an exhibition entitled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
- 2/15/2024
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A Congressional hearing featuring five notable tech CEOs proved to be as combative as advertised. Meta‘s Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok‘s Shou Zi Chew, X‘s Linda Yaccarino, Snapchat‘s Evan Spiegel, and Discord‘s Jason Citron defended their companies’ safeguards for underage users during a four-hour Capitol Hill gathering on January 31.
The Senate Judiciary Committee summoned the five CEOs to speak about child safety on social media. That subject is one of the pillars of the Biden Administration’s tech policy platform; the U.S. President stressed the need to protect minors online during his first State of the Union address.
When the latest Big Tech hearing was first announced, Judiciary Committee leaders Dick Durbin (D-il) and Lindsay Graham (R-sc) cited security and safety lapses that have affected minors online. Those topics came up again at the hearing, which was attended by parents whose children have been negatively affected by social media.
The Senate Judiciary Committee summoned the five CEOs to speak about child safety on social media. That subject is one of the pillars of the Biden Administration’s tech policy platform; the U.S. President stressed the need to protect minors online during his first State of the Union address.
When the latest Big Tech hearing was first announced, Judiciary Committee leaders Dick Durbin (D-il) and Lindsay Graham (R-sc) cited security and safety lapses that have affected minors online. Those topics came up again at the hearing, which was attended by parents whose children have been negatively affected by social media.
- 1/31/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
TikTok continues to face criticism from American politicians, but the Congressional plan to regulate the app is going on the back burner — at least until 2024. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-wa), who heads the Senate Commerce Committee, told Reuters that Congress will not take up TikTok-oriented legislation until the calendar turns over to a new year.
Congress’ ultimate goal is to pass a bill that would imbue the Biden Administration with the regulatory powers it would need to check foreign-owned apps. China-based companies, including TikTok parent ByteDance, would be put on a particularly tight leash if D.C. lawmakers follow through on the threats they’ve been making for months.
Cantwell has been charged with revising the Restrict Act, which was originally introduced as a means of banning TikTok in the United States. There seem to be partisan squabbles over the bill’s intention, with Democrats like Cantwell proposing softer terms that would...
Congress’ ultimate goal is to pass a bill that would imbue the Biden Administration with the regulatory powers it would need to check foreign-owned apps. China-based companies, including TikTok parent ByteDance, would be put on a particularly tight leash if D.C. lawmakers follow through on the threats they’ve been making for months.
Cantwell has been charged with revising the Restrict Act, which was originally introduced as a means of banning TikTok in the United States. There seem to be partisan squabbles over the bill’s intention, with Democrats like Cantwell proposing softer terms that would...
- 12/8/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
TikTok just won a major victory that could secure its operations in the United States. A federal judge has ruled in the app’s favor in a case that tested the legality of Montana’s proposed ban on the video app.
The ruling in question came from U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, who said that the proposed law “oversteps state power.” Molloy argued that the ban was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to target “China’s ostensible role in TikTok.” He ruled that the law should be blocked, and a preliminary injunction filed on November 30 put his decree into action.
Molloy’s rhetoric resembles the arguments he made in October, when he criticized the rationale behind Montana’s TikTok ban. At the time, he called the law “paternalistic” and claimed that it does not have citizens’ best interests in mind.
TikTok immediately challenged the law after Montana...
The ruling in question came from U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, who said that the proposed law “oversteps state power.” Molloy argued that the ban was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to target “China’s ostensible role in TikTok.” He ruled that the law should be blocked, and a preliminary injunction filed on November 30 put his decree into action.
Molloy’s rhetoric resembles the arguments he made in October, when he criticized the rationale behind Montana’s TikTok ban. At the time, he called the law “paternalistic” and claimed that it does not have citizens’ best interests in mind.
TikTok immediately challenged the law after Montana...
- 12/1/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Political junkies and online video observers should circle January 31, 2024 on their calendars. That’s when the CEOs of five major tech companies — Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Discord — will visit the U.S. Capitol to answer questions related to child safety on social media.
The hearing will be hosted by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will grill the assembled execs about their “failure to protect children online.” That’s how Judiciary Committee leaders Dick Durbin (D-il) and Lindsay Graham (R-Sc) described Big Tech’s security and safety lapses in a press release announcing the hearing.
This will not be the first time that tech execs have faced off against a hostile Congressional committee. Representatives from YouTube and TikTok address concerns about data privacy during a contentious 2022 hearing. A few months later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew took his turn in the Senatorial spotlight as he looked to fend off...
The hearing will be hosted by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will grill the assembled execs about their “failure to protect children online.” That’s how Judiciary Committee leaders Dick Durbin (D-il) and Lindsay Graham (R-Sc) described Big Tech’s security and safety lapses in a press release announcing the hearing.
This will not be the first time that tech execs have faced off against a hostile Congressional committee. Representatives from YouTube and TikTok address concerns about data privacy during a contentious 2022 hearing. A few months later, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew took his turn in the Senatorial spotlight as he looked to fend off...
- 11/30/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Changes are coming to TikTok‘s internal structure. A report in The Information discusses the video app’s reorganization of its operations division, which includes its creator and content teams.
According to The Information, the reorganization will affect “hundreds of operations staff,” who will be divided across three focuses: Creators, content strategy/policy, and publishers. Under the former TikTok COO, V Pappas, the operations unit included different divisions, such as “marketing and distribution” and “creators and content partnerships.”
Pappas left the COO position in June 2023, nine months after they endured a grilling in front of the U.S. Congress. To replace its outgoing Chief Operating Officer, TikTok turned to its Chief of Staff, Adam Presser.
As COO, Presser has initiated a structural shift in order to make TikTok’s operations more efficient. “Our current structure has not allowed our teams to reach our full potential,” Presser wrote in a note viewed by The Information.
According to The Information, the reorganization will affect “hundreds of operations staff,” who will be divided across three focuses: Creators, content strategy/policy, and publishers. Under the former TikTok COO, V Pappas, the operations unit included different divisions, such as “marketing and distribution” and “creators and content partnerships.”
Pappas left the COO position in June 2023, nine months after they endured a grilling in front of the U.S. Congress. To replace its outgoing Chief Operating Officer, TikTok turned to its Chief of Staff, Adam Presser.
As COO, Presser has initiated a structural shift in order to make TikTok’s operations more efficient. “Our current structure has not allowed our teams to reach our full potential,” Presser wrote in a note viewed by The Information.
- 11/15/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Legislators in the United States are facing legal challenges as they attempt to regulate TikTok, but overseas, the European Commission is continuing to keep watch on the biggest social media platforms. The executive organ of the European Union has asked TikTok and YouTube to share the systems they have put in place to protect minors.
On November 8, E.U. industry chief Thierry Breton told Reuters that he would send requests for information to both TikTok and YouTube. Those two recipients are expected to comply with the Digital Services Act, a landmark law that requires tech companies to remove harmful content on their platforms.
Among other stipulations, the Digital Services Act contains several rules related to the safety of minors and the ads those users are exposed to. Companies that fail to provide appropriate safeguards could face fines as high as 6% of their global turnover, according to Reuters.
Both TikTok and...
On November 8, E.U. industry chief Thierry Breton told Reuters that he would send requests for information to both TikTok and YouTube. Those two recipients are expected to comply with the Digital Services Act, a landmark law that requires tech companies to remove harmful content on their platforms.
Among other stipulations, the Digital Services Act contains several rules related to the safety of minors and the ads those users are exposed to. Companies that fail to provide appropriate safeguards could face fines as high as 6% of their global turnover, according to Reuters.
Both TikTok and...
- 11/10/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The European Commission has sent a formal notice to Elon Musk’s X requesting information on the social media platform’s provisions to deal with illegal content, disinformation and abusive material posted on the site in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, who announced the move on his X account on Thursday, said it marked the first step in an investigation to determine X’s compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (Dsa).
“The Dsa is here to protect both freedom of expression & our democracies — including in times of crisis,” wrote Breton.
The request comes just two days after Breton first wrote to Musk warning him about a proliferation of disinformation and abusive content on X in the wake of Saturday’s deadly attack on Israel and gave him 24 hours to deal with it.
Breton warned that failure to act...
European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, who announced the move on his X account on Thursday, said it marked the first step in an investigation to determine X’s compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (Dsa).
“The Dsa is here to protect both freedom of expression & our democracies — including in times of crisis,” wrote Breton.
The request comes just two days after Breton first wrote to Musk warning him about a proliferation of disinformation and abusive content on X in the wake of Saturday’s deadly attack on Israel and gave him 24 hours to deal with it.
Breton warned that failure to act...
- 10/12/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
ByteDance is buying up more real estate for TikTok employees in the United States. The Beijing-based parent company — which is currently the subject of a U.S. Senate inquiry — has purchased 143,000 square feet of real estate to add to its footprint in Culver City.
TikTok has already established a presence in Culver City. In 2020, the video app moved into five-floor office in the Los Angeles suburb.
Initially, that complex included 120,000 square feet of space, but it’s about to get a massive upgrade. As first reported by the brokerage Savills, ByteDance is adding 53,202 square feet to its existing lease. It’s also acquiring another 90,049 square feet of space at a separate Culver City address. That deal is a sublease agreement.
According to Savills, the deal was the fourth-largest office deal in Los Angeles during the third quarter. TikTok also operates out of several other U.S. offices, including spaces in Chicago,...
TikTok has already established a presence in Culver City. In 2020, the video app moved into five-floor office in the Los Angeles suburb.
Initially, that complex included 120,000 square feet of space, but it’s about to get a massive upgrade. As first reported by the brokerage Savills, ByteDance is adding 53,202 square feet to its existing lease. It’s also acquiring another 90,049 square feet of space at a separate Culver City address. That deal is a sublease agreement.
According to Savills, the deal was the fourth-largest office deal in Los Angeles during the third quarter. TikTok also operates out of several other U.S. offices, including spaces in Chicago,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
In Southeast Asia, TikTok has become big enough to influence the subscription video on demand (SVOD) industry, even though it doesn’t offer a true SVOD service of its own. According to a report from Media Partners Asia (MPA), TikTok’s viewership share in Southeast Asia has jumped by 20% over the past two years. As the ByteDance-owned app soars, SVOD content providers are struggling to attract new subscribers in the heavily-populated region.
Between January and June of 2023, 42% of all streaming video watch time in Southeast Asia came on TikTok, per the MPA report. That’s good for a 20% increase over the past two years and a 7% year-over-year bump. That growth comes on top of numbers that were already massive. At VidCon Anaheim in 2022, TikTok Head of Creator Marketing Solutions Claire Sun announced that the video app had surpassed one trillion total views in Southeast Asia.
TikTok is “increasingly a...
Between January and June of 2023, 42% of all streaming video watch time in Southeast Asia came on TikTok, per the MPA report. That’s good for a 20% increase over the past two years and a 7% year-over-year bump. That growth comes on top of numbers that were already massive. At VidCon Anaheim in 2022, TikTok Head of Creator Marketing Solutions Claire Sun announced that the video app had surpassed one trillion total views in Southeast Asia.
TikTok is “increasingly a...
- 8/2/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
It may be time for the United States Senate’s proposed TikTok ban to receive some edits. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-wa), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, has called for an amendment to the contentious Restrict Act.
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Restrict Act in March, days before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made a contentious visit to Capitol Hill. The initial version of the Restrict Act, which received approval from President Biden, gave the White House power to regulate apps controlled by foreign entities. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.
In the months since March, TikTok has continued to deal with fallout related to its handling of U.S. user data. But even though the Senate still has security concerns related to TikTok, recent developments have suggested that a wholesale ban on the app may not be so easy to enforce. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte...
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the Restrict Act in March, days before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made a contentious visit to Capitol Hill. The initial version of the Restrict Act, which received approval from President Biden, gave the White House power to regulate apps controlled by foreign entities. TikTok is owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance.
In the months since March, TikTok has continued to deal with fallout related to its handling of U.S. user data. But even though the Senate still has security concerns related to TikTok, recent developments have suggested that a wholesale ban on the app may not be so easy to enforce. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte...
- 7/27/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Redbox parent Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment has set a deal with TikTok that will see the platform’s short-form videos stream on screens atop some 3,000 Redbox kiosks nationwide.
Third-party brands will also have their ads run alongside the TikTok videos via Chicken Soup’s ad platform Crackle Connex.
The agreement covers roughly 10% of the total network of Redbox kiosks, which are generally located outside of grocery, convenience and big box retail stores. The out-of-home ad deal is part of a growing effort across the industry to identify alternatives to linear TV and place brand messages in venues like gas stations, elevators and other locations.
For Chicken Soup, the pact comes as the company is laboring to fully integrate Redbox, which it acquired in mid-2022 for $375 million. Most of the acquisition came in the form of assumption of debt. Even though the debt has no repayments in the next several quarters,...
Third-party brands will also have their ads run alongside the TikTok videos via Chicken Soup’s ad platform Crackle Connex.
The agreement covers roughly 10% of the total network of Redbox kiosks, which are generally located outside of grocery, convenience and big box retail stores. The out-of-home ad deal is part of a growing effort across the industry to identify alternatives to linear TV and place brand messages in venues like gas stations, elevators and other locations.
For Chicken Soup, the pact comes as the company is laboring to fully integrate Redbox, which it acquired in mid-2022 for $375 million. Most of the acquisition came in the form of assumption of debt. Even though the debt has no repayments in the next several quarters,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today announced that more than 250 LGBTQ and ally actors, notables, and other leaders signed a public letter created by GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign (Hrc) calling on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter to better enforce hate speech, harassment, misinformation, and other existing content policies aimed at protecting transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming users and all LGBTQ people.
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.
The celebrities, influencers, and prominent public figures include: Alyssa Milano, Alan Cumming, Alok, Amber Ruffin, Amy Landecker, Amy Schumer, Angelica Ross, Annaleigh Ashford, Ariana Grande, Arisce Wanzer, Avan Jogia, Barbie Ferreira, Bebe Rexha, Bella Ramsey, Ben Barnes, Benito Skinner, Bethany Cosentino, Billy Eichner, Billy Porter, Bobby Berk, Bretman Rock, Brian Michael Smith, Busy Philipps, Camila Cabello, Cara Delevingne, Chella Man, Cheyenne Jackson, Christa Miller, Chris Perfetti,...
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.
The celebrities, influencers, and prominent public figures include: Alyssa Milano, Alan Cumming, Alok, Amber Ruffin, Amy Landecker, Amy Schumer, Angelica Ross, Annaleigh Ashford, Ariana Grande, Arisce Wanzer, Avan Jogia, Barbie Ferreira, Bebe Rexha, Bella Ramsey, Ben Barnes, Benito Skinner, Bethany Cosentino, Billy Eichner, Billy Porter, Bobby Berk, Bretman Rock, Brian Michael Smith, Busy Philipps, Camila Cabello, Cara Delevingne, Chella Man, Cheyenne Jackson, Christa Miller, Chris Perfetti,...
- 6/28/2023
- Look to the Stars
More than 250 LGBTQ and ally actors, notables, and other leaders signed a public letter created by GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign (Hrc) calling on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter to better enforce hate speech, harassment, misinformation, and other existing content policies aimed at protecting transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming users and all LGBTQ people.
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.
GLAAD collaborated with acclaimed writer, performer, and media personality Alok on outreach for the letter.
“True allies do not profit from anti-lgbtq hate,” the letter begins. It continues: “There has been a massive systemic failure to prohibit hate, harassment, and malicious anti-lgbtq disinformation on your platforms and it must be addressed. The very content you profit from is in violation of your own terms of service, which assert that you do not allow hate speech.”
Addressed to CEOs Mark Zuckerberg (Instagram and Facebook...
The full letter and list of signatories can be found here.
GLAAD collaborated with acclaimed writer, performer, and media personality Alok on outreach for the letter.
“True allies do not profit from anti-lgbtq hate,” the letter begins. It continues: “There has been a massive systemic failure to prohibit hate, harassment, and malicious anti-lgbtq disinformation on your platforms and it must be addressed. The very content you profit from is in violation of your own terms of service, which assert that you do not allow hate speech.”
Addressed to CEOs Mark Zuckerberg (Instagram and Facebook...
- 6/28/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign have teamed to issue a public letter signed by more than 250 notable names that urges CEOs of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter to help curb anti-lgbtq hate on their platforms by better enforcing policies that protect that community.
The full list of signatories includes allies and LGBTQ talent like Elliot Page, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Amy Landecker, Amy Schumer, Angelica Ross, Bebe Rexha, Bella Ramsey, Ben Barnes, Billy Eichner, Billy Porter, Busy Philipps, Camila Cabello, Cara Delevingne, Cheyenne Jackson, Cynthia Nixon, Dylan Mulvaney, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Hailey Bieber, Hannah Gadsby, Janelle Monáe, Jinkx Monsoon, Judd Apatow, Kal Penn, Kendrick Sampson, Lena Dunham, Lena Waithe, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Niecy Nash Betts, Patrick Stewart, Patti LuPone, Ramy Youssef, Rosario Dawson, Sam Smith, Sara Bareilles, Sia, Shawn Mendes, Taika Waititi, Zoe Chao, Zooey Deschanel and others.
The letter is addressed to Mark Zuckerberg,...
The full list of signatories includes allies and LGBTQ talent like Elliot Page, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Amy Landecker, Amy Schumer, Angelica Ross, Bebe Rexha, Bella Ramsey, Ben Barnes, Billy Eichner, Billy Porter, Busy Philipps, Camila Cabello, Cara Delevingne, Cheyenne Jackson, Cynthia Nixon, Dylan Mulvaney, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Hailey Bieber, Hannah Gadsby, Janelle Monáe, Jinkx Monsoon, Judd Apatow, Kal Penn, Kendrick Sampson, Lena Dunham, Lena Waithe, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Niecy Nash Betts, Patrick Stewart, Patti LuPone, Ramy Youssef, Rosario Dawson, Sam Smith, Sara Bareilles, Sia, Shawn Mendes, Taika Waititi, Zoe Chao, Zooey Deschanel and others.
The letter is addressed to Mark Zuckerberg,...
- 6/27/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
V Pappas is leaving TikTok.
They’ve been with the platform for the most tumultuous five years of its existence, having joined in 2018 as its general manager of U.S. operations.
They rose to interim CEO from August 2020, when former CEO Kevin Mayer quit, to May 2021, when current chief Shou Zi Chew was appointed. Since 2021, they’ve been TikTok’s global chief operating officer.
“I took a gamble on what was then a completely unknown company and product and followed my intuition, really my passion, to build a place for people to come together around shared moments of joy and creativity, and to foster a place that is inclusive and open to all,” Pappas wrote in a memo to TikTok employees this morning (which they later posted publicly on Twitter). “Five years later, we have grown to a global team of thousands of people and I believe we have achieved...
They’ve been with the platform for the most tumultuous five years of its existence, having joined in 2018 as its general manager of U.S. operations.
They rose to interim CEO from August 2020, when former CEO Kevin Mayer quit, to May 2021, when current chief Shou Zi Chew was appointed. Since 2021, they’ve been TikTok’s global chief operating officer.
“I took a gamble on what was then a completely unknown company and product and followed my intuition, really my passion, to build a place for people to come together around shared moments of joy and creativity, and to foster a place that is inclusive and open to all,” Pappas wrote in a memo to TikTok employees this morning (which they later posted publicly on Twitter). “Five years later, we have grown to a global team of thousands of people and I believe we have achieved...
- 6/22/2023
- by James Hale
- Tubefilter.com
TikTok’s chief operating officer, V. Pappas, is stepping down as part of a major leadership shake-up at the social media giant, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told staff Thursday.
As part of the changes, longtime Disney executive Zenia Mucha will join TikTok as its chief brand and communications officer, while TikTok’s chief of staff, Adam Presser, will now lead operations, Chew said.
Pappas joined TikTok as a general manager for the U.S. in 2018 before rising in the ranks to lead the company as its interim chief executive and, most recently, its COO. They will serve as a strategic adviser to TikTok but will exit to pursue their other “entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas said in a separate email to staff.
“Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas wrote. “I know the company...
As part of the changes, longtime Disney executive Zenia Mucha will join TikTok as its chief brand and communications officer, while TikTok’s chief of staff, Adam Presser, will now lead operations, Chew said.
Pappas joined TikTok as a general manager for the U.S. in 2018 before rising in the ranks to lead the company as its interim chief executive and, most recently, its COO. They will serve as a strategic adviser to TikTok but will exit to pursue their other “entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas said in a separate email to staff.
“Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas wrote. “I know the company...
- 6/22/2023
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Zenia Mucha, who spent two decades as Disney’s top spokesperson before leaving the company in 2021, has been hired at TikTok. She’ll serve in the newly formed role of chief brand and communications officer and will be responsible for TikTok’s global marketing and communications strategies.
Mucha’s hiring is part of a larger shakeup at TikTok. Vanessa Pappas is stepping down as the company’s chief operating officer and Adam Presser, the current chief of staff, has been promoted to head of operations.
“Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas said in a note to staff. “I know the company has a very bright and stable future under the strong leadership of Shou Chew and our executive team, I will be here to support him, the leadership team and all of...
Mucha’s hiring is part of a larger shakeup at TikTok. Vanessa Pappas is stepping down as the company’s chief operating officer and Adam Presser, the current chief of staff, has been promoted to head of operations.
“Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas said in a note to staff. “I know the company has a very bright and stable future under the strong leadership of Shou Chew and our executive team, I will be here to support him, the leadership team and all of...
- 6/22/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
TikTok‘s CEO is facing more animosity from his Congressional opponents thanks to statements he made back in March. During his appearance on Capitol Hill, Shou Zi Chew claimed that the data of U.S. TikTok users is stored on servers in Virginia and Singapore. But in a recent statement, the ByteDance-owned app admitted that it makes exceptions to that policy for users who are enrolled in its Creator Fund.
Chew’s initial claims came during a six-hour grilling in Congress, in which U.S. officials criticized TikTok’s data security practices. About three months later, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators authored a letter in which they accused Chew of making “incorrect claims.” The letter argues that Chew’s statements about data security contradicted claims made by TikTok Head of Public Policy Michael Beckerman in October 2021.
TikTok responded to that letter by making a distinction between ordinary users and creators.
Chew’s initial claims came during a six-hour grilling in Congress, in which U.S. officials criticized TikTok’s data security practices. About three months later, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators authored a letter in which they accused Chew of making “incorrect claims.” The letter argues that Chew’s statements about data security contradicted claims made by TikTok Head of Public Policy Michael Beckerman in October 2021.
TikTok responded to that letter by making a distinction between ordinary users and creators.
- 6/21/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
For months, we’ve been hearing about a potential TikTok ban that would prevent U.S. residents from accessing the popular video platform. As the Senate’s Restrict Act hunts for the support it needs to pass, a new bill is proposing a different course of action. It’s called the Protecting Americans’ Data From Foreign Surveillance Act, and it would regulate the movement of TikTok data across international borders without banning the app outright.
The bipartisan bill is co-authored by Ron Wyden and Cynthia Lummis (R-wy). Though it doesn’t reference TikTok by name, it is clearly designed to apply to the ByteDance-owned app. If the Padffsa (that’s a mouthful) is passed, specific regions (such as China) would be placed on a list. In order to move data from the U.S. to one of the listed regions, companies would have to first obtain a license. Data transfers...
The bipartisan bill is co-authored by Ron Wyden and Cynthia Lummis (R-wy). Though it doesn’t reference TikTok by name, it is clearly designed to apply to the ByteDance-owned app. If the Padffsa (that’s a mouthful) is passed, specific regions (such as China) would be placed on a list. In order to move data from the U.S. to one of the listed regions, companies would have to first obtain a license. Data transfers...
- 6/15/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
TikTok‘s effort to stave off a U.S. ban has suffered yet another setback. A former employee of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has filed a lawsuit in the California Superior Court for San Francisco County. Among other allegations, the suit claims that representatives from the Chinese Communist Party accessed the user data of U.S. TikTok users.
The ex-ByteDance operative, Yintao “Roger” Yu, worked for the Beijing-based corporation between 2017 and 2018. In his original complaint, filed earlier this month, he claimed that he was fired because he would not comply with his employer’s “efforts to skirt legal and ethical lines.”
Yu’s original lawsuit alleges that TikTok ran a “worldwide scheme” in which employees cribbed videos from Instagram and Snapchat in order to create a library of short-form content. It also claims that ByteDance used TikTok and its Chinese counterpart Douyin to run propaganda campaigns against Japan and Hong Kong.
The ex-ByteDance operative, Yintao “Roger” Yu, worked for the Beijing-based corporation between 2017 and 2018. In his original complaint, filed earlier this month, he claimed that he was fired because he would not comply with his employer’s “efforts to skirt legal and ethical lines.”
Yu’s original lawsuit alleges that TikTok ran a “worldwide scheme” in which employees cribbed videos from Instagram and Snapchat in order to create a library of short-form content. It also claims that ByteDance used TikTok and its Chinese counterpart Douyin to run propaganda campaigns against Japan and Hong Kong.
- 5/15/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
A former executive at ByteDance, the Chinese firm that owns TikTok, has come forward with accusations that the company provided backdoor access to data on U.S. users and boosted, demoted and removed certain content at the direction of the Chinese government.
A wrongful termination suit filed by Yintao Yu, who was head of engineering for the company’s U.S. offices five years ago, alleges that Chinese government maintained a special unit within ByteDance referred to as the “Committee” that “guided how the company advanced core Communist values,” according to an amended complaint filed on Friday in San Francisco Superior Court. He says that ByteDance served as a “useful propaganda tool,” pointing to instances when the company was “responsive to the Chinese Communist Party’s requests to share information, and even to elevate or remove content.”
The suit detailing how ByteDance operated when he worked for the company from...
A wrongful termination suit filed by Yintao Yu, who was head of engineering for the company’s U.S. offices five years ago, alleges that Chinese government maintained a special unit within ByteDance referred to as the “Committee” that “guided how the company advanced core Communist values,” according to an amended complaint filed on Friday in San Francisco Superior Court. He says that ByteDance served as a “useful propaganda tool,” pointing to instances when the company was “responsive to the Chinese Communist Party’s requests to share information, and even to elevate or remove content.”
The suit detailing how ByteDance operated when he worked for the company from...
- 5/12/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TikTok‘s plan to bring a lucrative ecommerce operation to the United States has encountered another obstacle. According to the Wall Street Journal, the platform known as TikTok Shop will not reach a wide rollout in the U.S. until June at the earliest.
The report cited “people familiar with the matter,” who claimed that TikTok Shop’s U.S. arrival has been pushed back from an “early spring” launch. TikTok denied that it has delayed its U.S. Shop timeline. “We’re committed to our strategy of testing and learning, and we’re excited to continue expanding our test in the U.S. by inviting more merchants to join us as interest in Shop continues to grow,” reads a TikTok statement provided to Reuters.
Two particular issues may be stunting TikTok Shop’s westward expansion. The commercial hub has caught on in Asia, where TikTok parent company ByteDance makes billions from social shopping.
The report cited “people familiar with the matter,” who claimed that TikTok Shop’s U.S. arrival has been pushed back from an “early spring” launch. TikTok denied that it has delayed its U.S. Shop timeline. “We’re committed to our strategy of testing and learning, and we’re excited to continue expanding our test in the U.S. by inviting more merchants to join us as interest in Shop continues to grow,” reads a TikTok statement provided to Reuters.
Two particular issues may be stunting TikTok Shop’s westward expansion. The commercial hub has caught on in Asia, where TikTok parent company ByteDance makes billions from social shopping.
- 5/10/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
If you thought Shou Zi Chew‘s contentious appearance on Capitol Hill would be a decisive moment in the ongoing quest to ban TikTok, then you didn’t realize how long this battle is going to drag on. In his first public remarks since appearing before Congress, the CEO of the ByteDance-owned app reiterated his company’s commitment to data security. Unfortunately, those comments were quickly undermined by a Forbes report that detailed potential security flaws at one of TikTok’s U.S. data centers.
At the Ted 2023 conference, Chew’s talking points were similar to the ones he delivered before Congress. The 40-year-old Singaporean exec reiterated that Project Texas — TikTok’s plan to store sensitive U.S. user data on American servers — is capable of appeasing security concerns raised by politicians who have called for a TikTok ban.
Chew’s Washington, D.C. war of words made him...
At the Ted 2023 conference, Chew’s talking points were similar to the ones he delivered before Congress. The 40-year-old Singaporean exec reiterated that Project Texas — TikTok’s plan to store sensitive U.S. user data on American servers — is capable of appeasing security concerns raised by politicians who have called for a TikTok ban.
Chew’s Washington, D.C. war of words made him...
- 4/21/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
With the future of TikTok in the hands of lawmakers — Montana is set to become the first state to ban the app entirely — the hundreds of thousands of creators who use the platform daily are, by now, used to conversations about diversifying their brand just in case a nationwide ban becomes a reality.
Following TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s testimony before the House Energy & Commerce Committee at the end of March, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to a handful of creators who have grown their businesses on the platform, making most of their living either directly through the app or because of the audience they have built there. Some were in Washington, D.C., for Chew’s testimony, advocating for the app’s unique place in the social media landscape and making the case that they use it in ways that lawmakers don’t understand.
Says Tiffany Yu, who built...
Following TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s testimony before the House Energy & Commerce Committee at the end of March, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to a handful of creators who have grown their businesses on the platform, making most of their living either directly through the app or because of the audience they have built there. Some were in Washington, D.C., for Chew’s testimony, advocating for the app’s unique place in the social media landscape and making the case that they use it in ways that lawmakers don’t understand.
Says Tiffany Yu, who built...
- 4/20/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As the government weighs a national TikTok ban, Montana lawmakers passed on Friday a bill requiring app stores to stop carrying the app. The governor is expected to sign the measure.
The action goes the farthest of any state that has passed legislation relating to TikTok in preventing users from downloading the Chinese-owned video app. Under the bill, passed by a vote of 54-43, app stores will be prohibited from offering the app to Montana users, though people who already have the app can continue using it. TikTok will also not be allowed to operate in the state. It will go into effect in 2024.
In a statement, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said “the bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices.”
The measure is likely to be challenged. TikTok underscored that whether the measure is permitted under the constitution...
The action goes the farthest of any state that has passed legislation relating to TikTok in preventing users from downloading the Chinese-owned video app. Under the bill, passed by a vote of 54-43, app stores will be prohibited from offering the app to Montana users, though people who already have the app can continue using it. TikTok will also not be allowed to operate in the state. It will go into effect in 2024.
In a statement, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said “the bill’s champions have admitted that they have no feasible plan for operationalizing this attempt to censor American voices.”
The measure is likely to be challenged. TikTok underscored that whether the measure is permitted under the constitution...
- 4/14/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party plan to meet this week with Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger and Apple CEO Tim Cook, as well as screenwriters and other studio executives.
The chairman of the committee, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wi) has previously said that he wanted Iger to testify over Disney’s business dealings in the country, along with NBA commissioner Adam Silver. In an appearance on Face the Nation in February, Gallagher said, “I think we can have a productive conversation with companies that have substantial business interests in China, and we want to make sure that the power of the Chinese economy is not seducing certain companies into betraying American values.”
Disney and other studios have been criticized by lawmakers for self-censorship of movies as a way of gaining entry into the Chinese marketplace. In the Face the Nation interview, Gallagher said...
The chairman of the committee, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wi) has previously said that he wanted Iger to testify over Disney’s business dealings in the country, along with NBA commissioner Adam Silver. In an appearance on Face the Nation in February, Gallagher said, “I think we can have a productive conversation with companies that have substantial business interests in China, and we want to make sure that the power of the Chinese economy is not seducing certain companies into betraying American values.”
Disney and other studios have been criticized by lawmakers for self-censorship of movies as a way of gaining entry into the Chinese marketplace. In the Face the Nation interview, Gallagher said...
- 4/2/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
TikTok might be hit with a ban in the United States, but the embattled app isn’t going down without a fight. The organization OpenSecrets, which is committed to “following the money in politics,” has revealed that TikTok and parent company ByteDance have spent $13.4 million on U.S. government lobbying since 2019.
OpenSecrets shared a chart that divulges ByteDance’s year-over-year lobbying expenses. In 2019, the Chinese corporation spent less on lobbying than comparable tech companies. But as U.S. politicians have threatened to ban TikTok, the app has ramped up its influence campaign. In 2022 alone, TikTok and ByteDance spent $5.4 billion on their attempts to lobby D.C. power players.
TikTok’s lobbying spend per year. Originally published by OpenSecrets.
ByteDance may not have spent much on its U.S.-based lobbying efforts in 2019, but even at that time, the corporation was still thinking about its reputation. Politico — which claims ByteDance has spent $16 million...
OpenSecrets shared a chart that divulges ByteDance’s year-over-year lobbying expenses. In 2019, the Chinese corporation spent less on lobbying than comparable tech companies. But as U.S. politicians have threatened to ban TikTok, the app has ramped up its influence campaign. In 2022 alone, TikTok and ByteDance spent $5.4 billion on their attempts to lobby D.C. power players.
TikTok’s lobbying spend per year. Originally published by OpenSecrets.
ByteDance may not have spent much on its U.S.-based lobbying efforts in 2019, but even at that time, the corporation was still thinking about its reputation. Politico — which claims ByteDance has spent $16 million...
- 3/31/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Disney’s former head of communications Zenia Mucha is advising TikTok as the beleagued company fights calls to shut it down in the U.S. on security concerns, Deadline has confirmed. It’s already banned across the Federal government with President Biden recently ramping up demands that the global app’s Chinese parent sell the U.S. business to a company Stateside, or see it vanish.
Mucha’s advisory role to the besieged social media platform falls under her Zm Stategies banner. Having moved back East after officially leaving Disney in late 2021, the former righthand lady to past and present CEO Bob Iger formed the company in August last year.
No stranger to the sharp elbows of the political world, Mucha was a hardball advocate for GOP New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato and later Governor George Pataki before joining Iger and the House of Mouse in 2001. Whether those partisan skills...
Mucha’s advisory role to the besieged social media platform falls under her Zm Stategies banner. Having moved back East after officially leaving Disney in late 2021, the former righthand lady to past and present CEO Bob Iger formed the company in August last year.
No stranger to the sharp elbows of the political world, Mucha was a hardball advocate for GOP New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato and later Governor George Pataki before joining Iger and the House of Mouse in 2001. Whether those partisan skills...
- 3/31/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
As TikTok works to convince Congress to drop efforts to ban the app nationwide, the company has reportedly recruited Democratic and Republican power players, including former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, to help coach CEO Shou Zi Chew.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, TikTok has enlisted the services of former Obama advisers David Plouffe and Jim Messina, former Trump adviser Tony Sayegh, and former Disney Communications Chief Zenia Mucha to help Chew navigate the scrutiny from lawmakers.
Last week, Chew was subjected to more than four...
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, TikTok has enlisted the services of former Obama advisers David Plouffe and Jim Messina, former Trump adviser Tony Sayegh, and former Disney Communications Chief Zenia Mucha to help Chew navigate the scrutiny from lawmakers.
Last week, Chew was subjected to more than four...
- 3/30/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
The threat of a potential TikTok ban in the United States has put the app’s parent company in a sticky situation. In response, ByteDance is heeding an age-old maxim: When life gives you lemons, make Lemon8.
That’s the name of a social media app that has surged up the U.S. App Store charts over the past week. Lemon8, like TikTok, is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. As American consumers wonder how much longer they’ll have access to TikTok, Lemon8 is starting to look like an appealing alternative. According to TechCrunch, Lemon8 reached #9 on the App Store’s Top Apps chart six days after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before the U.S. Senate.
Lemon8 is often described as a mix between Instagram and Pinterest. Creators who use the platform can post photo collages, which can be used to share experiences or teach skills. Content is displayed...
That’s the name of a social media app that has surged up the U.S. App Store charts over the past week. Lemon8, like TikTok, is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. As American consumers wonder how much longer they’ll have access to TikTok, Lemon8 is starting to look like an appealing alternative. According to TechCrunch, Lemon8 reached #9 on the App Store’s Top Apps chart six days after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew appeared before the U.S. Senate.
Lemon8 is often described as a mix between Instagram and Pinterest. Creators who use the platform can post photo collages, which can be used to share experiences or teach skills. Content is displayed...
- 3/30/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Cannes & TikTok Have Renewed Their Partnership, But Could That Change Amid The Crackdown On The App?
The Cannes Film Festival has renewed its short film competition partnership with TikTok for a second year in a move that is likely to come under scrutiny amid the global debate over the platform’s privacy and data security record.
Delegate General Thierry Frémaux said in an interview with Variety on Monday that the festival was “happy” with the partnership and “the human relationship” it had forged with TikTok, despite a bumpy first edition of the competition.
Related Story After TikTok CEO’s Congressional Testimony, Lawmakers Say Momentum Is Growing For A Ban On The App Related Story Cannes Critics' Week Unveils 2023 Poster Paying Tribute to 2022 Breakout 'Aftersun' Related Story Riley Keough & Gina Gammell's Cannes Breakout 'War Pony' Acquired By Momentum Pictures At SXSW
His comments come three days after France joined a growing list of countries banning the app on government-issued devices due to security concerns,...
Delegate General Thierry Frémaux said in an interview with Variety on Monday that the festival was “happy” with the partnership and “the human relationship” it had forged with TikTok, despite a bumpy first edition of the competition.
Related Story After TikTok CEO’s Congressional Testimony, Lawmakers Say Momentum Is Growing For A Ban On The App Related Story Cannes Critics' Week Unveils 2023 Poster Paying Tribute to 2022 Breakout 'Aftersun' Related Story Riley Keough & Gina Gammell's Cannes Breakout 'War Pony' Acquired By Momentum Pictures At SXSW
His comments come three days after France joined a growing list of countries banning the app on government-issued devices due to security concerns,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
On March 23, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew endured five hours of intense grilling from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Though the app’s leader attempted to reassure Congressional leaders that Project Texas can secure the data of American TikTok users, he struggled to get his point across.
Despite Chew’s trip to Washington, Congress is still attempting to pass the Restrict Act, which would categorize TikTok as a national security threat and ban it in the United States. But the TikTok CEO’s marathon hearing did accomplish at least one thing: It made him a hero in the home country of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, users described Chew as a “lonely hero” and “courageous gentleman” who stood up to American aggression.
“TikTok’s hearing shows that the two parties can find common ground — as long as they have the CEO of...
Despite Chew’s trip to Washington, Congress is still attempting to pass the Restrict Act, which would categorize TikTok as a national security threat and ban it in the United States. But the TikTok CEO’s marathon hearing did accomplish at least one thing: It made him a hero in the home country of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, users described Chew as a “lonely hero” and “courageous gentleman” who stood up to American aggression.
“TikTok’s hearing shows that the two parties can find common ground — as long as they have the CEO of...
- 3/24/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Updated with French ministry clarification on impacted apps: France has announced a measure banning all recreational apps from the work phones of the country’s 2.5 million civil servants.
The move, seemingly sparked by recent concerns over TikTok, also impacts a raft of other social media and content platforms.
“Among the recreational apps, we find game apps like Candy Crush, streaming apps like Netflix, but obviously content apps like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. Dating apps are also affected,” France’s Civil Service Ministry clarified in response to a Deadline query on the extent of the ban.
The ministry said the list of banned apps would be updated in step with the evolving offering of apps on the market.
Related Story After TikTok CEO’s Congressional Testimony, Lawmakers Say Momentum Is Growing For A Ban On The App — Update Related Story French Film & TV Stars Get Behind Petition Decrying Macron Pension...
The move, seemingly sparked by recent concerns over TikTok, also impacts a raft of other social media and content platforms.
“Among the recreational apps, we find game apps like Candy Crush, streaming apps like Netflix, but obviously content apps like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat. Dating apps are also affected,” France’s Civil Service Ministry clarified in response to a Deadline query on the extent of the ban.
The ministry said the list of banned apps would be updated in step with the evolving offering of apps on the market.
Related Story After TikTok CEO’s Congressional Testimony, Lawmakers Say Momentum Is Growing For A Ban On The App — Update Related Story French Film & TV Stars Get Behind Petition Decrying Macron Pension...
- 3/24/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Washington, March 24 (Ians) TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who testified before the US Congress for the first time, has said the short-video making platform will never share US user data with China. However, the Congress appears more determined to ban TikTok than ever.
Chew, who appeared before dozens of House Energy and Commerce Committee members late on Thursday, offered reassurances that the company would enhance privacy and avoid any possibility of “unauthorised foreign access” to US user data, reports TechCrunch.
“I understand that there are concerns stemming from the inaccurate belief that TikTok’s corporate structure makes it beholden to the Chinese government or that it shares information about US users with the Chinese government,” Chew said.
“This is emphatically untrue,” he told the committee members.
“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew stressed.
In an earlier video, Chew had...
Chew, who appeared before dozens of House Energy and Commerce Committee members late on Thursday, offered reassurances that the company would enhance privacy and avoid any possibility of “unauthorised foreign access” to US user data, reports TechCrunch.
“I understand that there are concerns stemming from the inaccurate belief that TikTok’s corporate structure makes it beholden to the Chinese government or that it shares information about US users with the Chinese government,” Chew said.
“This is emphatically untrue,” he told the committee members.
“Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country,” Chew stressed.
In an earlier video, Chew had...
- 3/24/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
2Nd Update, 12:27 Pm Pt: “Thank you, Mr. Chew, for bringing Republicans and Democrats together,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-tx) said to the CEO of TikTok as a marathon congressional hearing was winding down Thursday.
Lawmakers of both parties pilloried the company and expressed frustration at what they saw as CEO Shou Zi Chew’s evasive answers during the session before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It was a rare congressional hearing where there was so much agreement on the criticism of a company and a witness, albeit not all members said that TikTok should be banned and some focused their comments on social media privacy in general.
Will the publicity surrounding the hearing compel lawmakers to move on legislation? Sen. Mark Warner (D-va) and Sen. John Thune (R-sd), who have proposed a bill that would allow the Commerce Secretary to ban TikTok and other apps connected to foreign countries,...
Lawmakers of both parties pilloried the company and expressed frustration at what they saw as CEO Shou Zi Chew’s evasive answers during the session before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It was a rare congressional hearing where there was so much agreement on the criticism of a company and a witness, albeit not all members said that TikTok should be banned and some focused their comments on social media privacy in general.
Will the publicity surrounding the hearing compel lawmakers to move on legislation? Sen. Mark Warner (D-va) and Sen. John Thune (R-sd), who have proposed a bill that would allow the Commerce Secretary to ban TikTok and other apps connected to foreign countries,...
- 3/23/2023
- by Ted Johnson and Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
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