TikTok: News
TikTok is an extremely popular video-sharing social networking service headquartered in China. Owned by a Beijing-based internet technology company named ByteDance, the app was founded in 2016 with a mission “to inspire creativity and bring joy.” In 2018, it merged with Shanghai-based social media service, musical.ly, and became available globally. Apart from Beijing, TikTok has offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. TikTok allows one to make music and lip-sync videos lasting some 3 to 15 seconds, and short looping videos of 3 to 60 seconds. The platform is regularly in the news for new features, some of which are new and some of which are imitations of features already implemented by other mainstream social media platforms. In early August of 2021, TikTok confirmed that it is testing a new Stories feature with a small subset of users. The feature is reminiscent of Instagram’s Stories feature which has been around for far longer.
Study at college? TikTok now helps you connect with classmates
TikTok has launched a new feature, Campus Verification, aimed at helping college students connect with their classmates.
Germany: TikTok replaces its trust and safety team with AI
TikTok employees in Berlin are staging protests against the company's decision to lay off its entire trust and safety team.
Google refutes claims of AI search features hurting publisher traffic
Google has refuted claims that its AI search features and Gemini chatbot are hurting traffic to publishers' websites.
Meta overhauls Instagram with reposts and new map features
Instagram has launched a new feature called 'Instagram Map,' allowing users to share their recent active location with others and discover location-based content.
Australia recruits 7,000 soldiers in a year using TikTok ads
Australia's military recruitment has hit a 15-year high, with over 7,000 full-time personnel enlisted in the 2024-25 financial year.
YouTube tests Instagram-style collaboration feature for creators
YouTube is testing a new collaboration feature, similar to those on Instagram and TikTok.
TikTok's new Pro app lets you support charities while scrolling
TikTok has launched a new version of its app, called "TikTok Pro," in Germany, Portugal, and Spain.
You now need minimum 1,000 followers to use Instagram Live
Instagram is raising the bar for its live-streaming feature. The social media platform now requires users to have a public account with at least 1,000 followers to access this feature.
How TikTok is ensuring safety of its teen users
TikTok has announced a major update to its platform, introducing a range of new features aimed at enhancing user experience.
Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign earns flak: Controversy explained
A new advertising campaign for American Eagle featuring actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked a major online controversy. Critics have accused the advertisement of promoting eugenics through its punny use of the phrase "great jeans."
How the iPhone's Notes app is being used to cheat
The iPhone's Notes app, a go-to platform for jotting down grocery lists or reminders, has been co-opted by some users for a more nefarious purpose: cheating.
After 3 lifelines, Trump threatens to shutdown TikTok in US
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has warned that TikTok could be banned in the country if China doesn't approve a deal for the sale of the app.
'Papa Jake' Larson, WWII veteran, TikTok star, dies at 102
World War II veteran and TikTok sensation "Papa Jake" Larson has passed away at the age of 102.
Blackstone does not want stake in TikTok US anymore
Private equity giant Blackstone has withdrawn from a consortium looking to invest in TikTok's US operations.
CEO in Coldplay kiss-cam is worth millions—Inside Andy Byron's fortune
Andy Byron, the CEO of Astronomer, a tech company valued at over $1.3 billion, is at the center of a controversy after a video of him and Kristin Cabot, the company's Chief People Officer, went viral.
Austrian privacy group files complaints against TikTok, AliExpress, WeChat
Austrian privacy advocacy group NOYB has filed data privacy complaints against Chinese companies AliExpress, TikTok, and WeChat.
TikTok's new feature puts songwriters front and center
TikTok has announced a new feature that will allow songwriters to showcase their own or co-written songs on their profiles.
5 EU nations trial age-verification app amid child safety push
The European Commission has announced that France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece will trial a new age verification app.
TikTok readies new app for US users ahead of sale
TikTok is all set to launch a new version of its video streaming app in the US on September 5, as per The Information.
TikTok plans layoffs in e-commerce division amid US market challenges
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance are reportedly preparing for layoffs, particularly in the e-commerce division, TikTok Shop.
Trump says 'very wealthy' group ready to buy TikTok
US President Donald Trump has revealed that he has found a buyer for TikTok, the popular video-sharing app facing shutdown in the country.
TikTok's latest feature is similar to Instagram's broadcast channels
TikTok is testing a new messaging tool called "bulletin boards," the company confirmed to TechCrunch.
ChatGPT records 29.5M downloads on iPhones in just 28 days
The ChatGPT app has witnessed an extraordinary surge in popularity, racking up over 29.5 million downloads on iPhones globally in the past 28 days.
Trump extends TikTok sale deadline to September
US President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok's ban by another 90 days to mid September.
Donald Trump extends US TikTok sale deadline for third time
President Donald Trump has once again extended the deadline for TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The new deadline is now set for mid-September.
Trump says he may delay TikTok ban in US again
US President Donald Trump has said that he may extend the deadline for China-based tech giant ByteDance to divest its American operations of TikTok.
Why TikTok star Khaby Lame was forced to exit US
Khabane "Khaby" Lame, the most-followed TikTok personality globally, was recently detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Las Vegas.
Apple adds camera control and studio audio recording to AirPods
Apple has announced two new features for its AirPods lineup: "Camera Remote" and "Studio-Quality Audio Recording."
ChatGPT hits 1B daily searches 5.5x faster than Google
OpenAI's ChatGPT has hit a major milestone, clocking over one billion daily search requests.
TikTok's latest platform helps artists better connect with their fans
TikTok has officially launched "TikTok for Artists," a music insights platform aimed at helping artists build their careers.
17-year-old Pakistani TikTok star shot dead; police suspect honor killing
Sana Yousaf, a 17-year-old TikTok star from Pakistan, was shot dead in her Islamabad home on Monday.
Miley Cyrus drops new album 'Something Beautiful'
Miley Cyrus has finally dropped her much-awaited ninth studio album, titled Something Beautiful.
US suspends student visa appointments, plans expanded social media vetting
The United States State Department has temporarily halted scheduling new visa interviews for foreign students. This decision comes as the department prepares to expand its social media vetting process for all student visa applicants.
TikTok's new AI tool converts your photos into short videos
TikTok has launched an interesting AI-powered feature, "AI Alive," to convert photos into videos.
Trump willing to delay TikTok ban in US again
US President Donald Trump has said that he is willing to delay the TikTok ban again.
China rejects data access claims following TikTok's major EU penalty
After the European Union (EU) slapped TikTok with a massive fine, China has denied any obligation for the company to hand over any data to it.
TikTok slapped with €530M fine in EU over data protection
TikTok has been slapped with a hefty €530 million fine by the main privacy regulator in the European Union (EU).
TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, eyes data center in Brazil
ByteDance, the Chinese parent of TikTok, is considering a major investment in a Brazilian data center.
Myanmar TikTok astrologer arrested for predicting another strong earthquake
John Moe The, a popular TikTok astrologer with over 300,000 followers, has been arrested by Myanmar authorities for allegedly inciting panic.
Meta's 'Edits,' a rival to CapCut, launches globally
Meta has officially launched Edits, a CapCut-like video-creation app. The app is now available globally on iOS and Android.
Instagram now lets you share your Reels feed with friends
Instagram has launched a new feature, called "Blend," to generate a unique Reels feed for you and your friends.
Chinese man seen fighting for Russia; says TikTok convinced him
Thirty-four-year-old Chinese soldier Wang Guangjun, who was captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, has said propaganda on TikTok had a major role to play in his decision to join the war.
Gemini AI now lets you create videos from text prompts
Google has integrated its cutting-edge video-generating artificial intelligence (AI) model, Veo 2, into Gemini Advanced.
Trump reveals why China blocked TikTok US sale deal
President Donald Trump has revealed that China's objections to new tariffs have stalled a deal for the popular social media app, TikTok.
Sell TikTok to get tariff relief: Trump tells China
US President Donald Trump has proposed slashing tariff on Chinese goods, provided China allows a US firm to purchase TikTok's operations.
Trump offers TikTok another 75 days to find US buyer
US President Donald Trump has decided to extend the deadline for a potential TikTok ban in the country by another 75 days.
TikTok faces €500M fine for transferring EU data to China
TikTok's parent company ByteDance Ltd. is staring at a privacy fine of over €500 million.