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India’s 150 million users were forced to stop using the Chinese-owned app in 2020. But an internal tool reviewed by Forbes showed that ByteDance and TikTok employees can still mine some of their most sensitive data. One employee called it “NSA-To-Go.” By Alexandra S. Levine , Forbes Staff A lmost three years after TikTok’s largest market, India, banned the Chinese-owned social media app over geopolitical tensions, troves of personal data of Indian citizens who once used TikTok remain widely accessible to employees at the company and its Beijing-based parent, ByteDance, Forbes has learned. The revelation comes as President Joe Biden’s administration threatens to ban the platform used by more than 100 million Americans if TikTok’s Chinese owner does not sell its stake. Officials in the highest levels of the U.S. government see a blanket TikTok ban as a possible solution to the country’s national security concerns about the potential for China to surveil or … [Read more...] about India Banned TikTok In 2020. TikTok Still Has Access To Years Of Indians’ Data

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline India banned TikTok in June 2020 citing national security concerns after a military clash with China, opening the door for Instagram to dominate and some TikTok duplicates to suddenly emerge as major players in the vacated market. Key Facts Shortly after India banned TikTok, Instagram saw a surge of downloads, propelling it to become the country’s most popular social media app by 2021, up from No. 6 in 2019, and to surpass TikTok in global downloads by the fourth quarter of 2021. Key to Instagram’s success in India was Reels, its algorithm-based, endlessly scrolling vertical video feed that closely resembles TikTok’s For You Page and other TikTok copycats like YouTube Shorts and Snapchat Spotlight. Both Instagram and YouTube bet on Shorts and Reels as potential TikTok alternatives: They tested these features in India after the country banned TikTok before launching them worldwide. … [Read more...] about Here’s What Happened When This Massive Country Banned TikTok

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin People often ask me, “what is Web3?” My short answer, which I elaborate on in my ‘What The Zuck’ article and keynotes , is always—you are! Why? Because the promise of Web3 flips the ownership model and gives the money and the power back to you. Social media has deteriorated in many countries—especially for women—and the tech. and media oligopolists love it. These media landlords like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, Apple, et al. have taken control of everything we do, say, share, post and buy online—and they are not very excited about the changes Web3 can usher in to their market. Want proof? While Tik Tok’s CEO, Shou Chew, was grilled by U.S. lawmakers in Washington today—last week at SXSW, his former product head admitted this about creators: “Platforms don’t really care if you are successful…because their metrics are 100 percent focused on retention, publish rates, active days. Monetization of … [Read more...] about Web3 Rebels Vs. Tech. Oligopolies

A U.S. ban on the world’s most popular social media app would affect far more American businesses and people than just the 150 million using the platform here. C asey Evertsen drove down a suburban Utah street lined with trash bins, speaking into his phone’s camera as he gave a tour of the brightly-colored truck he uses for his garbage can-cleaning business. “If you like seeing dirty stuff get cleaned and watching how cool stuff works, follow along,” he said in the video shared on TikTok. “Let’s clean some bins!” Evertsen’s service, Bin Blasters , had for a whole year struggled to get traction through Facebook and Instagram. So taking a cue from his teenage daughter, he decided to try promoting it on TikTok instead. On his eighth video, just one month in, Evertsen “blew up.” "I went out and just started cleaning bins that day, started on our route, and I look at my phone like an hour later, and there's 17,000 views,” he recalled. “Then it just got in the millions.” … [Read more...] about How A TikTok Ban Would Deal A Blow To Creators, Businesses And The American Economy

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline A trio of American technology giants could tack on some $431 billion in market value if the U.S. bans TikTok, according to Bernstein analysis published Thursday, as the issues posed by the wildly popular Chinese-owned social media app take center stage in Washington. Key Facts Alphabet, Meta, and Snap, each of which operate short-form video platforms rivaling TikTok, would all be in line for major stock jumps if the U.S. moves forward with a TikTok shutdown, according to a note to clients Thursday from Bernstein analysts led by Mark Shmulik. Shares of YouTube Shorts parent Alphabet could jump as much as 20% should TikTok users need to flock to a replacement for their social media fix, shares of Instagram Reels parent Meta could be in line for as much as a 30% gain and shares of Snapchat Spotlight parent Snap could surge as much as 50%, according to Bernstein forecasts, using price-to-earnings multiple … [Read more...] about Banning TikTok Would Boost Alphabet, Meta And Snap—Here’s How Much Their Stocks Could Jump

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin TikTok is widely popular among the younger generation around the world, and the large majority of TikTok users are between the ages of 18 and 34. There is also little denying that older folks likely simply don't get it. For those reasons, TikTok could be seen as just the latest youth/pop culture fad that is being targeted unfairly. History Lesson In 1921, legislators in 37 states introduced almost one hundred film censorship bills aimed to address the threat from motion pictures, which lawmakers and various religious and civic groups warned was introducing morally questionable content on the masses. In the 1950s, German-American psychiatrist and author Fredric Wertham published his book Seduction of the Innocent , which asserted that comic books caused youth to become delinquents. Tipper Gore, the wife of then-Senator Al Gore (D-Tenn.), co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) in the 1980s with the stated … [Read more...] about TikTok Ban Isn’t About Targeting Youth Culture – But It Kinda Is

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline The U.K. parliament will block all devices on its network from accessing TikTok, according to an announcement Thursday, complementing efforts by European governments and the U.S. in restricting the China-owned app over national security and data privacy concerns. Key Facts A spokesperson for the U.K. parliament—citing cybersecurity concerns—said Thursday that TikTok will be blocked from all parliament devices and any device accessing its network. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said Thursday the Scottish government will ban the app from all devices accessing its network effective immediately, following discussions with the British government. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said all devices used by British government employees would be unable to access TikTok—and the devices will only be able to access pre-approved third-party apps. TikTok will be deleted from all devices … [Read more...] about U.K. Bans TikTok From Parliament Devices—Here Are The Other Governments Banning The App

(CTN News) – Chinese government officials said Thursday that they would oppose U.S. plans to force TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell the short-video service, warning it could damage investor confidence in the company. It is believed that the company behind TikTok, ByteDance , may be sharing user browsing histories or other information with China’s government or may promote propaganda and disinformation on behalf of the country. According to the Wall Street Journal, should ByteDance fail to sell TikTok to a buyer, the federal government may consider banning the app. China will resolutely oppose the news if it is true, according to Shu Jueting, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Commerce. As far as Beijing is concerned, she did not provide any indication. “Forced sales would adversely affect investors from multiple countries, including China,” Shu said. China and other countries are in conflict over TikTok, which is disrupting the processor chip, smartphone and other … [Read more...] about TikTok Sale Might Be Forced By US Plan, China Criticizes