Retail News CRM

Tag: tiktok

  • TikTok picks Oracle over Microsoft as possible candidate

    TikTok picks Oracle over Microsoft as possible candidate

    With Tuesday’s deadline forcing TikTok parent company ByteDance to divest itself of the short-form app’s U.S. operations or get banned in the states, Reuters reports that a group led by U.S. tech firm Oracle has been chosen by TikTok to buy the U.S. version of the very popular app for an undisclosed amount. Just before Oracle was announced as the winner of the contest, Microsoft said that it had been informed by ByteDance that TikTok would not be sold to the software giant. The company was originally the front runner in a deal that was estimated to be valued at $20 billion dollars and up.

    Walmart was also expected to be part of the Microsoft bid and it is unclear whether the retailer still has an interest in TikTok. In a statement announcing that it is bowing out of the battle for the U.S. operations of TikTok, Microsoft said, “We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users while protecting national security interests. To do this, we would have made significant changes to ensure the service met the highest standards for security, privacy, online safety, and combatting disinformation, and we made these principles clear in our August statement. We look forward to seeing how the service evolves in these important areas.”

    TikTok, with over 2 billion installs worldwide, has 100 million monthly users in the states, up from 11 million in early 2018. The app, which has a large community of teenage users, shows community created videos of 15 or 60 seconds in length. Content includes lip-syncing, pranks, dancing, and more. During the pandemic, when teens and others were locked up in their homes, TikTok becomes even more popular than ever. And that popularity got the Trump administration worries that the Communist Chinese government could obtain personal information from TikTok users and send it to Beijing. ByteDance says that the U.S.operations of TikTok have only two servers in operation with one in the states and the other in Singapore. The next step requires the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) and the White House to get approval for the deal. People familiar with the transaction say that it should satisfy fears that some participants had about the security of data obtained by TikTok in the U.S.

    China almost threw a last-second issue into the deal when the Chinese government added new export restrictions that banned the U.S. from receiving certain information created by artificial intelligence. These algorithms are used to determine which videos TikTok users get to see and are considered the app’s “secret sauce’” they were believed to be part of the negotiations of the deal. President Trump announced an executive order back on August 6th, giving ByteDance 45 days to divest TikTok before demanding that its U.S. operations be banned. The White House considers the app to be a national security threat.

    Microsoft, as we mentioned earlier, was originally the front runner and had decided to take on Walmart as a partner. The original plan called for both to acquire TikTok’s operations in the U.S. along with those in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. For the deal to close, ByteDance will need to get approval from both the U.S. and Chinese governments.

    This isn’t the first time that the U.S. government has gotten itself involved in a messy takeover battle involving China. In March 2018, the president blocked Singapore chipmaker Broadcom from purchasing Snapdragon chip designer Qualcomm for $117 billion. The U.S. was reportedly concerned that the deal would weaken Qualcomm thus giving power to the Chinese. A few months later, Qualcomm’s bid to acquire Dutch company NXP Semiconductors NV was blocked by Chinese antitrust regulators.

  • TikTok in talks to avoid a full sale of its U.S. operations

    TikTok in talks to avoid a full sale of its U.S. operations

    TikTok parent ByteDance has to divest itself of the app’s U.S. operations by September 15th or else the popular short-form video app will be banned in the states. The U.S. is concerned that because of perceived ties to the Communist Chinese government, TikTok users could have their personal information obtained by the Chinese. Thus, President Donald Trump issued an executive order forcing TikTok’s parent to get rid of the app. Still, ByteDance denies that the security of American TikTok users is at risk. In fact, ByteDance says that the only servers used by TikTok for its U.S. subscribers are in the U.S. and Singapore.

    Over two billion times TikTok has been installed from the App Store and the Google Play Store. 100 million users in the states and 800 million globally use the app to create 15 to 60-second videos featuring lip-syncing, pranks, dancing, DIY clips, and more. Microsoft was one of the leading candidates to buy TikTok and other possible buyers include Twitter, Oracle, and Walmart. As recently as two weeks ago, ByteDance said that a deal was close to being announced and Kevin Mayer gave up his position as CEO. Mayer came to TikTok from Disney where he worked on the Disney+ streaming service. At the time, the move was seen as an attempt by ByteDance to inject some Americana into the app.

    But things have apparently changed and the U.S. government and ByteDance are having discussions about an alternative that would allow ByteDance to avoid a full divesture of TikTok’s U.S. operations. The U.S. had to rethink its demands after China put restrictions on the export of its AI technology; this could have a negative impact on the sale of the app because it might not allow TikTok to include its important algorithms in any deal with a U.S. firm. If the algorithms are not included, the purchase of TikTok becomes less attractive.

    ByteDance has been trying to convince President Trump that he would be taking a huge political risk if the app is shut down. That’s because TikTok users-surprisingly-are more conservative than thought. Thus, forcing the app to shut down could be upsetting to voters that the president is counting on. But that view of TikTok seems out of touch with reality. After all, a large number of teenage subscribers ordered tickets to the president’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and didn’t show up in an effort to embarrass him with a plethora of empty seats.

    Regardless of which political party favors TikTok, time is running out. The bottom line is that if no deal can be salvaged in less than five days, the president might be forced to accept a deal that would be a far cry short of what he was hoping for. For example, one option could be a restructuring of TikTok that would have it take on an American partner to keep its data secure and to take a minority stake in the company. Still, the president doesn’t back down easily and with his current hatred of China because of the coronavirus, Trump might still hold out for a divestiture of the app. His base would surely see a partial victory as a critical victory against China nonetheless.

    For now, the Treasury Department “is focused solely at this time on discussions associated with the sale of TikTok in accordance with the August 14 divestiture order signed by the President.”

  • TikTok says it is close to announcing its sale following the departure of its CEO

    TikTok says it is close to announcing its sale following the departure of its CEO

    When TikTok hired Kevin Mayer to be CEO in May, some viewed it as a ploy, a stunt if you will. That was due to the fact that the short-form video app was being attacked by the U.S. government for having a parent corporation based in China and Mayer had been working for Disney’s streaming service, Disney+. Yes, nothing screams Americana more than Disney and its iconic cartoon characters like Mickey M-O-U-S-E, Donald Duck, and Goofy.

    But as the great Robert Zimmerman (you probably know him as Bob Dylan) once sang, “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” Mayer knew that his days at TikTok were probably numbered since U.S. President Donald Trump was forcing ByteDance, the Chinese firm that owns TikTok, to divest the latter’s U.S. operations by September 15th or face a nationwide ban. Mayer composed a letter to his staff before departing in which he said that the CEO’s role at TikTok was expected to change dramatically. The Wall Street Journal saw a copy of the note which said, “I understand that the role that I signed up for—including running TikTok globally—will look very different as a result of the U.S. administration’s action to push for a selloff of the U.S. business. I’ve always been globally focused in my work, and leading a global team that includes TikTok U.S. was a big draw for me.”

    The plan was for Mayer to announce his departure at the same time TikTok announced a sale. However, word of Mayer’s intentions leaked overnight forcing him to come clean about his intentions earlier than he had hoped. Several ByteDance staffers said that they were stunned by Mayer’s move and said that they didn’t see it coming.

    As with many Chinese tech companies trying to operate in the U.S., the current administration accuses TikTok of being a national security threat because it might pass along to Beijing data obtained about U.S. consumers and corporations. ByteDance says that TikTok uses only two servers to store personal data with the main one in the U.S. and a backup server housed in Singapore.

    But Mayer’s departure isn’t even the top story involving TikTok this morning. That’s because CNBC reports that a deal to sell the app’s operations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand could be announced as soon as next week. Those in the know say that Microsoft and Oracle are the leading contenders to close on a deal and that a final decision has yet to be made. Earlier, Twitter had explored making a bid as did a partnership made up of Walmart and SoftBank. The value of any deal could be in the range of $20 billion to $30 billion, but sources say that a final price has not been agreed on.

    In an update to its story, CNBC quoted Walmart as saying that it might partner with Microsoft on a deal for TikTok. W Walmart spokesman said, “The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets. We believe a potential relationship with TikTok U.S. in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising businesses. We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of U.S. TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators.”

    TikTok has become very popular and was one of the top apps on the App Store and the Google Play Store even before the global pandemic helped pump up its numbers even more. With a large number of teens and pre-teens stuck inside during the peak of the summer, many turned to the app to pass the time. Users can record videos of 15 seconds or 60 seconds in length and content includes lip-syncs, dances, pranks, comedy, and more. In the states, TikTok has 100 million users with 800 million using the app worldwide. It has been installed more than 2 billion times from the App Store and the Google Play Store.

    If no deal is reached and the U.S. government bans TikTok, 1,500 Americans will lose their jobs. TikTok also noted that as many as 10,000 Americans would lose the opportunity to be considered for new job opportunities working for the app.

    Lees ook:

  • TikTok to battle executive order banning U.S. firms from having transactions with the app

    TikTok to battle executive order banning U.S. firms from having transactions with the app

    Short-form video app TikTok will begin a legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s campaign to ban the popular app in the states. TikTok has over 100 million users in the U.S. and has been installed over 2 billion times worldwide from the App Store and the Google Play Store. Favored by teens, TikTok has given bored kids something to do while stuck at home during the pandemic. Content on TikTok lasts 15 or 60 seconds and includes members lip-syncing to hit songs, dancing, doing comedy bits, and protesting hot button issues.

    An executive order signed by Trump on August 14th ordered TikTok’s Chinese based parent DanceByte to sell off its U.S. operations in 90 days. In his order, Trump said that there is “credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance … might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.” Some U.S. companies that have announced an interest in buying the app’s U.S. operations include Microsoft, Oracle, and Twitter. Apple was rumored to have an interest in TikTik but later denied it. Trump has hinted that any purchase of TikTok by a U.S. company might need to include a payment to the U.S. government adding up to a “substantial portion” of the transaction amount. Considering that TikTok’s value has been estimated at a figure as high as $150 billion, the U.S. portion of the business alone might generate a large sum for the U.S. government.

    TikTok plans on challenging an earlier executive order signed by the president on August 6th that requires Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to draw up a list of transactions involving ByteDance that should be banned after 45 days. The order relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and thus deprived it of due process. TikTok also will challenge the White House’s defining TikTok as a national security threat.

    However, even if ByteDance is able to challenge the August 6th order, it will still have to divest itself of TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. That’s because the August 14th order does not face a judicial review. Under the earlier order, U.S. companies could be blocked from advertising on the site, TikTok employees in the states might not be allowed to get paid, and landlords might even be forced to evict TikTok workers from any property they leased or rented to them. Additionally, the U.S. could force TikTok to be defended by attorneys from outside of the country.

    Earlier this month, TikTok said that it might fight back against the Trump administration by arguing that the executive order was rushed out, blindsiding the company. Normally, a company being targeted by the Feds receives a subpoena and has a confidential meeting with the DOJ. Where TikTok plans on filing its lawsuit as soon as Monday is unknown. While the company previously said that it would explore its legal options, employees were said to be considering their own separate lawsuit.

    If TikTok is banned in the U.S., there could be some backlash by users of voting age who might feel compelled to vote this November. Meanwhile, other apps have already started to debut features similar to TikTok. For example, Instagram has already launched Reels, and a new app similar to TikTok called Clash was released months ahead of expectations.

    For those wondering whether the president has the authority to issue the executive orders, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that a 1977 law allows the president to regulate interstate commerce to safeguard the country from unusual events. McEnany said, “The administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber threats.” She noted that apps like TikTok “collect significant amounts of private data on users.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Leaked White House document shows how U.S. plans to hurt TikTok financially

    Leaked White House document shows how U.S. plans to hurt TikTok financially

    With short-form video app TikTok about to be banned in the U.S. starting in the middle of next month, a Harris Poll that was shared with USA Today found that 64% of adult Americans are against the presidential executive order that will end the app’s presence in the states. The order was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump because the app’s parent company, ByteDance, is a Chinese company. Many U.S. lawmakers and members of the Trump administration believe that Chinese manufacturers use backdoors embedded in their products to capture data from consumers and companies and send it to the Communist Chinese government.

    While a majority of those adults polled are against Trump’s executive order, 57% of tall Americans agreed with the move by the president to kick TikTok out of the states. However, those answering the poll were 18 years of age or older while most TikTok users are younger. The app has been installed two billion times from the App Store and the Google Play Store. Content includes lip-syncing, dancing, pranks, protests, singing, and more. During the pandemic, TikTok picked up interest from those who were stuck at home.

    Microsoft has reportedly been looking at buying the North America, Australia, and New Zealand operations of TikTok although company founder Bill Gates has stated his reservations. Twitter has supposedly has had preliminary meetings with TikTok to form some sort of combination. However, this would be quite a longshot considering that the estimated valuation of TikTok is well above the $30 billion that Twitter is worth. But even if a deal with a U.S. firm is completed, the Harris Poll found that 62% of Americans would continue to believe that the app would pose a national security threat because of its ties to China. The rest of the poll saw 67% of Americans worried that the Chinese are using personal data collected by TikTok, a sentiment agreed to by 59% of TikTok users.

    A document from the White House indicates how the U.S. plans to impact TikTok’s operations in the country. One way that this could happen is by disrupting the app’s operations and sources of funding. A source inside the White House verified the authenticity of the document which said, “Prohibited transactions may include, for example, agreements to make the TikTok app available on app stores … purchasing advertising on TikTok, and accepting terms of service to download the TikTok app onto a user device.” Industry analysts say that if the ban prevents TikTok from appearing in the App Store and the Google Play Store, the result would sharply damper the growth of the app.

    Also facing a ban in the U.S. is messaging, social media, and mobile payment app WeChat. The latter, launched by Tencent in 2011, has over one billion users and many Chinese consumers rely on the app every single day. Trump also signed an executive order that will ban U.S. firms from doing business with WeChat. The White House document seen by Reuters is not clear on whether WeChat will indeed be banned in the states.

    The U.S. ban on TikTok would take effect starting on September 16th, the same date that any WeChat ban would also begin. James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said, “That kills TikTok in the U.S. If they want to grow, these rules are a huge obstacle.” Lewis did note that the U.S. government might not be able to prevent American TikTok fans from downloading the app from a foreign website. TikTok has 100 million users in the U.S. and has stated that data from its U.S. subscribers is stored on servers in the U.S. and Singapore and that such information would not be given to the Chinese government.

    TikTok says that it plans to continue honoring ad campaigns although some corporations say that they have made plans to advertise on other apps if TikTok is shut down in America.

  • Twitter reportedly meets with TikTok about a combination

    Twitter reportedly meets with TikTok about a combination

    People who make their way around Twitter know a way that they can see if the Twitterverse hates a particular tweet. It’s called getting ratio’d. It’s quite simple really; if the number of replies vastly outnumbers a tweet’s likes and retweets, it means that the content of that tweet is disliked by Twitter subscribers. The messaging app recently tested changing some of the terminology associated with the app and also made it easier to figure out a particular tweet’s ratio.

    During the test, retweets with comments were called Quotes. In an email sent to The Verge, a Twitter spokesman said, “A few months ago, we’ve made Retweets with Comments more visible when you tap to see Retweets on a Tweet. This is available to everyone. Now, we’re testing making Retweets with Comments accessible directly on the Tweet and new language (Quotes) to see if this makes them easier to access and more understandable.”

    Back in May, Twitter tested a Retweets with comments counter on some iOS devices. But now, the new test adds the Quote counter to the stats on the bottom of a tweet. Twitter, like most social media sites, has been under attack for the polarizing and baiting comments left by many users. Twitter said in the past that it wants to add features to its UI to improve conversations between users.

    Speaking of Twitter, last Sunday it has had preliminary discussions with TikTok about a potential combination. The short-form video app has until the middle of next month to find a partner willing to take the U.S. operations of the app off the hands of its parent firm ByteDancer. That’s because the latter is a Chinese tech firm which automatically raises suspicions by the U.S. government. An executive order signed by the president last week calls the company a threat to national security and notes that being owned by a Chinese firm means that it is potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage.”

    Microsoft is seen as the leading candidate to take over the U.S. operations of TikTok and has the wherewithal to make such a purchase which could cost the software giant tens of billions of dollars. It isn’t clear how Twitter would be able to finance any deal. The company’s stock market capitalization is approximately $29 billion compared to Microsoft’s $1.6 trillion valuations. As of June, Twitter had $7.8 billion in cash and securities compared to $136 billion for Microsoft. TikTok has been installed over two billion times from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Globally, TikTok has 800 million active users with 100 million in the states. During the pandemic, TikTok gave teens, pre-teens, and even parents stuck inside a chance to release some steam by producing 15-second or 60-second videos. Typical content includes lip-syncing, dancing, playing comedic pranks, and more.

    Twitter once ran an app that was somewhat similar to TikTok. Vine was developed in 2012 and was purchased by Twitter during the following year; the app allowed users to create video clips lasting six or seven seconds and content was shared over Facebook and Twitter. In 2016, Instagram Video was launched allowing users to record longer 15-second clips and many Vine users started to move on to Instagram, Snapchat, and other apps. Vine hung around in various forms with the last iteration of an app using the Vine name closed in 2019.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Instagram launches Reels, competition for TikTok

    Instagram launches Reels, competition for TikTok

    Short-form video app TikTok has 41 days to complete a deal with Microsoft or any other U.S. company or else President Donald Trump has said that he will ban the app in the U.S. That’s because TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China and a law in the country allows the communist government to order tech firms to collect intelligence from consumers and companies in the states and send it to Beijing. This is the same reason why outfits like Huawei and ZTE are considered national security threats in the states.

    NPR reported that twenty separate lawsuits accusing TikTok of capturing information about users’ facial characteristics, locations, and close contacts were merged into one class-action suit. The plaintiffs are minors who use the app and the suit states that the personal data collected by TikTok is sent to servers in China. ByteDance says that the servers it uses for TikTok are located in the U.S. with backups in Singapore. Experts for the plaintiffs said in the filing that personal data collected by TikTok is “under the control of third-parties who cooperate with the Chinese government. Such information reveals TikTok users’ precise physical location, including possibly indoor locations within buildings, and TikTok users’ apps that possibly reveal mental or physical health, religious views, political views, and sexual orientation.”

    With talk of a possible ban, many of the 100 million TikTok users in the U.S. have been looking for a new app to record their lip-syncing, dancing, singing, comedy bits, and protests. One app called Clash launched months early so that it could sign up TikTok members worried about losing the app to a ban. Instagram announced the launch of its short-form video feature called Reels. Instagram says, “Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools. You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore. Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.”

    To use Reels, open Instagram and touch the camera icon in the upper left of the screen. On the bottom of the page, tap the Reels tab to get started. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see icons for Audio, Speed, Effects, and Timer. With the Audio setting, you can search for a song from Instagram’s music library or use your own by creating a reel with original music. If you share an original song on Reels, you will get credit for it. And your musical creation can be used by others by selecting “Use Audio” from your Reel.

    With AR Effects you can pick one from Instagram’s effect gallery which also includes effects made by creators all over the planet. This will allow you to create multiple-clips with different effects. If you are recording a Reel, you can record it hands-free by tapping on Timer and Countdown. A 3-2-1 countdown will alert you when your device has started recording.

    Perhaps one of the most important features on Reels is Align. This allows you to line up objects from your previous clips to help you record seamless transitions for outfit changes and more. And Speed lets you speed up audio and video. Reels can be recorded one at a time or all at once. Instagram says, “Record the first clip by pressing and holding the capture button. You’ll see a progress indicator at the top of the screen as you record. Stop recording to end each clip.”

    If you have a public account, your Reel can be shared in Explore or over your feed. If you use a private account, only your followers will be able to view your content from your feed. Original audio can’t be shared with this setting and others cannot share your Reels with others who don’t follow you. And a Reel can also be shared like a Story which means that it will disappear after 24 hours.

    “Reels in Explore showcases the best of trending culture on Instagram. Discover an entertaining selection of reels made by anyone on Instagram, in a vertical feed customized for you. If you love a Reel, you can easily like, comment or share it with your friends. You’ll also see some Reels with a “Featured” label. If your Reel is featured in Explore, you’ll receive a notification. Featured Reels are a selection of public Reels chosen by Instagram to help you discover original content we hope will entertain and inspire you.

    Reels gives people new ways to express themselves, discover more of what they love on Instagram, and help anyone with the ambition of becoming a creator take center stage.”

    Lees ook:

  • Apple denies report claiming that it is interested in buying TikTok

    Apple denies report claiming that it is interested in buying TikTok

    U.S. President Donald Trump is giving Microsoft until the middle of September to work out a deal with China’s ByteDance to own and operate TikTok in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The administration is concerned that Chinese tech firms collect data from U.S. consumers and corporations and send that data to a server in Beijing. It is this possible tie to the communist Chinese government that has led the U.S. to call companies like Huawei and ZTE national security threats. This could be the reason why the president prefers to see the short-form video app in U.S. hands or banned from the U.S. altogether.

    A class-action lawsuit filed by parents of over 70 U.S. children who use the app claim that it gathers data including facial features, the kids’ locations, and their contacts. The suit alleges that this information is quietly sent to servers in China, although the Chinese government is not specifically mentioned.

    While Microsoft seems to be the only U.S. company that has expressed interest in shelling out the big bucks to buy TikTok, Axios reported that other U.S. firms are believed to be interested in the app, which has been installed over 2 billion times from the Google Play Store and the App Store. One of the companies that are reportedly looking at a deal to buy TikTok is Apple.

    Axios’ Dan Primack wrote that he has been told by multiple sources that Apple is interested in TikTok. He did note that none of these sources works inside Apple and pointed out that TikTok’s app works on both iOS and Android. Primack later wrote that he was told by Apple that there are no discussions underway with ByteDance and that the company isn’t interested in TikTok. A purchase of TikTok would certainly cost Apple more than the $3 billion that the tech giant spent to purchase Beats Audio back in 2014. That is the largest acquisition ever made by Apple which usually restricts purchases to smaller companies with a technology that is one to two years away from being used in a product like the iPhone.

    While TikTok would seem to fit into Apple’s largest business segment, Services, the apps in that unit generate revenue from recurring subscription fees paid by the user. Instead, TikTok is a free app supported by advertisers. Even if we were to assume that Apple’s denial of any interest in TikTok was to be a negotiation ploy, it is hard to see how the company and its customers would benefit from such a purchase.

    By putting a September 15th deadline on completing a deal, Trump might have pained himself into a corner. Because of TikTok’s valuation, this is not an easy deal to complete. If September 15th comes and goes without a transaction taking place, the president is going to be forced to ban an app that is immensely popular even among those of voting age. Meanwhile, the implications of a deal are having effects everywhere. In China, TikTok parent ByteDance is being branded as a traitor for agreeing to sell TikTok to a U.S. firm. While TikTok itself doesn’t operate in China, ByteDance is a Chinese firm.

    In the states, TikTok users are jumping to rival platforms. Short-term video app Clash launched months earlier than planned to take advantage of the confusion surrounding TikTok and Instagram’s Reels is also close to launching. Snapchat is taking on TikTok with a service it is testing, and there are other apps already available such as byte and Triller. A 15-year-old TikTok user named Kyle Thomas told the Journal, “I spend all of my time on it. As much as it is my job, it’s also my entertainment. If I can’t have it, I wouldn’t be sure what to do.”

    Yesterday, President Trump made a comment about the U.S. Treasury collecting a percentage of any deal that results in the purchase of TikTok by a U.S. company. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said, “It may be that the president was thinking because the Treasury has had to do so much work on this, there are a lot of options here. I’m not sure it’s a specific concept that will be followed through…Regarding fees or anything like that, all that remains to be seen.” Having the U.S. government profit from what the Chinese government sees as a forced sale of TikTok is sure to make the current relationship between the two economic powers much worse.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Messaging app plans to challenge TikTok

    Messaging app plans to challenge TikTok

    When Snapchat first crossed our consciousness in May of 2012, its claim to fame was self-deleting photo messages that would disappear after 10 seconds. Eventually, Snapchat invented the “Stories” feature that Instagram and other social media apps copied. Today, Snapchat is known for its AR Lenses which can turn you into a sunglasses-wearing motorcycle cop, a dog sticking out his long tongue, and more.

    And now Snapchat is planning on going head-to-head against TikTok. The latter, with over 2 billion installs from the App Store and the Google Play Store, is one of the most popular apps in the U.S. as it allows users (mostly teens, pre-teens, and a smattering of adults) to create short-form videos of 15 and 60 seconds in length. Content includes lip-syncing, dancing, comedy bits and more. Snapchat announced today that it will be testing a new feature that will allow users to have their Snaps play with music in the background. Sound familiar?

    This is the perfect time for Snapchat to explore adding TikTok-esque features to the app. President Donald Trump has made it clear that the U.S. will not allow companies with possible ties to the communist Chinese government to operate in the states, and while he is allowing Microsoft to negotiate with TikTok parent ByteDance (a company based in China) to acquire the app in the U.S. and several other countries, such a transaction comes with a pretty high price tag which means that there is no guarantee that it will get done. If a deal isn’t agreed to, TikTok could get banned in the states and its 800 million global active users (100 million in the U.S.) will be searching for an alternative to the app, something that we’re sure that Snapchat understands.

    Snapchat parent SNAP has licensing deals with a number of music publishers including Warner Music. The music will be available for Snapchat users to add before recording a video, or afterward. When one of the new Snaps with music is shared, the person on the receiving end will swipe up to see album art, the title of the song being played, and the name of the artist. A “Play this song link” will send the user to Linkfire’s website or to the user’s preferred streaming music platform where the entire song can be played. That could be considered an improvement over what TikTok offers; tap the “sound” link on the latter app and you’ll see other clips that use the same song. Snapchat says that the new feature is designed for sharing music with your “real friends.”

    “We’re always looking for new ways to give Snapchatters creative tools to express themselves,” said a SNAP spokesman. “Music is a new dimension they can add to their Snaps that helps capture feelings and moments they want to share with their real friends.”

    While Snapchat seems to be overlooked in the messaging apps category, as of last quarter it counted 238 million daily active users worldwide. It also reaches more 13-to-24-year olds in the U.S. (90%) than Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. Even more impressive, Snapchat says that it reaches more users in the U.S. than Twitter and TikTok combined.

    A Snapchat spokesman said, “We’re constantly building on our relationships within the music industry, and making sure the entire music ecosystem — artists, labels, songwriters, publishers and streaming service — are seeing the value in our partnerships.” Snapchat plans on rolling out this feature in English-speaking markets starting this fall, although it is being tested starting today in New Zealand and Australia.

    Meanwhile, Instagram is about to roll out its own short-form video feature called “Reels” which is making TikTok parent ByteDancer very unhappy. In a statement late Sunday, ByteDancer accused Instagram owner Facebook of “plagiarism.” The whole statement read, “ByteDance has always been committed to becoming a global company. During this process, we have faced all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties, including the tense international political environment, collision and conflict of different cultures and plagiarism and smears from competitor Facebook.”

    Lees ook:

  • Trump gives Microsoft the green light to bid for TikTok

    Trump gives Microsoft the green light to bid for TikTok

    No, we don’t think that the TikTok story is the only game in town. However, it isn’t every day when an app with over two billion installations becomes the subject of a takeover battle involving a huge U.S. company and the President of the United States. This afternoon, Microsoft’s official blog reported that following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald Trump, Microsoft has decided to continue talks with TikTok’s corporate parent ByteDance in an attempt to purchase the short-form video app. Microsoft says that it would like to complete discussions with ByteDance by September 15, 2020.

    There are several possible reasons why the Trump administration has been seeking to ban TikTok in the U.S. In the states, several Chinese companies are considered national security threats with fears that they will collect personal data and send it to Beijing. Earlier this month Secretary of State Mike Pompeo compared the attempt to ban TikTok with other bans placed against Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE. “Whether it was the problems of having Huawei technology in your infrastructure we’ve gone all over the world and we’re making real progress getting that out. We declared ZTE a danger to American national security. With respect to Chinese apps on peoples’ cellphones, the United States will get this one right too.”

    Microsoft said on Sunday that it “fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President’s concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.” Some of those economic benefits include the addition of 10,000 new jobs that TikTok intends to bring into the U.S. over the next three years, according to a TikTok video posted on the app this morning by U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas.

    TikTok allows users to create 15-second or 60-second videos with comedic content, singing, dancing, and protesting. It is used by teens, pre-teens, and yes, even older folk. With many people stuck inside during the pandemic, TikTok became a popular app for those seeking a way to pass the time of day. If the deal is allowed, Microsoft will own and operate TikTok in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The software giant could also ask some other firms to be minority investors. Microsoft also said, “This new structure would build on the experience TikTok users currently love while adding world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections. The operating model for the service would be built to ensure transparency to users as well as appropriate security oversight by governments in these countries.”

    Microsoft said that it would make sure that any American TikTok user’s personal data would remain in the U.S. Any data backed up or stored on servers outside of the states would be deleted by Microsoft. The software giant also made sure to let the president know how much it appreciated his efforts in allowing the company to make a bid for TikTok. The company wrote, “Microsoft appreciates the U.S. Government’s and President Trump’s personal involvement as it continues to develop strong security protections for the country.”

    There is no guarantee that a deal will be completed. Microsoft says that it does not plan to comment further on a possible deal with ByteDance for TikTok until a definitive agreement has been made. While it is in negotiations with TikTok parent ByteDance, Microsoft says that “during this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President.”

    TikTok is estimated to be valued at $50 billion-$100 billion. Microsoft’s market capitalization is approximately $1.55 trillion.<

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Here’s how you can win over 83 years of free Netflix service

    Here’s how you can win over 83 years of free Netflix service

    This year, thanks to the global pandemic, Netflix has proven to be a much-needed distraction for those stuck inside. During the second quarter, the company added more than 10 million new subscribers worldwide. And now one lucky person could end up winning 1,000 free months of Netflix service. That works out to more than 83 years of service. You read that right. Who knows? COVID-19  might be eradicated by then. Netflix calls it the “immortal account.”

    To win the contest, you need to play a Netflix original game based on its new action film “The Old Guard.” This is the motion picture version of a graphic novel written by Greg Rucka. Starring Charlize Theron, the film is about a team of “noble mercenaries” who just cannot die. And this immortality is the reason why Netflix is giving away 83 years of service. As the streamer asks, “But how long is immortality, really? Netflix can’t promise a truly eternal subscription to its service, but it can offer the closest alternative: 1,000 months of service, which comes out to a bit over 83 years.”

    The grand prize winner must ring up the highest score while playing Netflix’s “The Old Guard” video game. You must be at least 18 years of age and reside in one of the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia. The contest ends at 8 am PT on July 20th which means that time is a-wastin’. You can play the game as often as you’d like until the contest ends, and the top 10 scores will be posted on a leaderboard.

    The grand prize winner will receive a special code good for 1,000 months of free Netflix service covering two screens. The person who achieves the second-highest score wins the second prize consisting of a code good for one year of free Netflix service for two screens. And the entrant who manages to get the third-highest score playing the game wins a code that can be used to obtain six free months of Netflix for a pair of screens. The codes must be redeemed within one month of their activation which is expected to take place on July 20th. The ARV (Approximate Retail Value) of all of the prizes adds up to $10,169.82.

    “The Old Guard” video game mirrors the events of the movie and in the game, you play the lead character looking to fight off your enemies using a one-handed Labrys. The latter is a giant, double-bladed ax. Netflix hints that getting killed in the game slows you down, so to ring up a high score, you need to defeat enemies quickly, without getting hit.

    While Netflix is the most popular subscription streamer in the world, the company’s estimate for new subscribers during the current quarter was 2.5 million. That is less than half the 5.27 million expected on Wall Street and the company is blaming the shortfall on short-form video app TikTok. Netflix told stockholders that “TikTok’s growth is astounding, showing the fluidity of internet entertainment. Instead of worrying about all these competitors, we continue to stick to our strategy of trying to improve our service and content every quarter faster than our peers. Our continued strong growth is a testament to this approach and the size of the entertainment market.”

    If the U.S. government gets its way, TikTok will be banned in the states because it is owned by Chinese firm ByteDancer. The U.S. is concerned, as it is with all apps and products owned by a Chinese company, that ByteDancer is secretly collecting information that it sends to a server in Beijing. The company has denied this and no evidence to support the allegations has ever surfaced.

    Besides TikTok, a number of new streamers could prove to be competition for Netflix. Disney+, launched last November, is off to a strong start. HBOMax and NBCUniversal’s Peacock are also available to iOS and Android users.

  • U.S. is considering a ban on popular short-form video app TikTok

    U.S. is considering a ban on popular short-form video app TikTok

    Tick tock, tick-tock. That’s the sound of a clock ticking off the time that popular short-form video app TikTok might have left in the U.S. On Monday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. government was looking at banning the Chinese-owned app along with Chinese-based tech firms. Rising tension between the United States and China is the reason why the current administration is looking to kick TikTok out of the U.S. as it did with Huawei. The latter is currently the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world and also is the global leader in supplying networking equipment to carriers.

    Speaking with Fox News, Secretary Pompeo said about the ban, “We are taking this very seriously. We are certainly looking at it. We have worked on this very issue for a long time.” He added, “Whether it was the problems of having Huawei technology in your infrastructure we’ve gone all over the world and we’re making real progress getting that out. We declared ZTE a danger to American national security. With respect to Chinese apps on peoples’ cellphones, the United States will get this one right too.”

    TikTok has been one of the most popular apps in the U.S. always among the most installed apps on iOS and Android every month. The app has more than 2 billion installations globally. The pandemic has caused it to become even more popular as kids stuck at home looking for things to do create short videos using the app. If TikTok does get banned from the U.S., Wall Street has already selected the domestic social-media app that it believes will replace TikTok in popularity.

    Shares of Snap, parent company of Snapchat, rose 8% on Tuesday after word spread about Pompeo’s comments. On Tuesday morning, the sales team belonging to securities house Morgan Stanley said that if TikTok is forced to shut down, both Snapchat and Facebook will benefit.

    TikTok has been trying to stay distant from its Chinese parent ByteDance. Like Huawei and ZTE before it, TikTok has caught the attention of U.S. agencies concerned that it is spying on Americans and sending personal data to Beijing. Earlier this year TikTok hired former Disney executive Kevin Mayer to be CEO in an attempt to cover itself with the American flag.

  • Short-form video app TikTok reaches an impressive milestone

    Short-form video app TikTok reaches an impressive milestone

    Short-form video creation app TikTok has reached an impressive milestone. The app has now been installed on over 1 billion Android devices. It has consistently appeared in charts listing the top free apps for both the App Store and Google Play Store; at the end of February, TikTok was the third most installed free app in the Google Play Store rising to second last month. TikTok allows users to create lip-syncing videos ranging in length from 3 to 15 seconds, and short looping videos lasting from 3 seconds to as long as 60 seconds.

    It was about a year ago when we told you that TikTok was a “Huawei-sized” problem. Like the phone and networking equipment manufacturer, there is a concern on the part of the U.S. government that TikTok collects data (location and biometric data in this case) and sends that information to Beijing. Because the app is popular with U.S. military personnel, U.S. lawmakers are alarmed. ByteDance, the Chinese company that created the app, is forced to share data with the Chinese government under the China Internet Security Law. And if that isn’t enough to get the attention of the U.S. government, ByteDance founder and CEO Zhang Yiming wrote a letter in 2018 in which he promised to “further deepen cooperation” with the Communist Chinese government and help promote it.

    Last November, we told you that ByteDance was being investigated by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) over its purchase of Musical.ly. The latter was a similar app to TikTok and was merged into it once the deal closed in 2017. But ByteDance never got clearance from CFIUS to complete the transaction; the agency is supposed to vet the foreign purchase of any U.S. company (Musical.ly had an office in Santa Monica). As a result, Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) sent a letter requesting that TikTok be the subject of a national security investigation. Schumer and Cotton said that China could be censoring images on TikTok meant for U.S. viewers, and both were concerned that the app could be used by foreign governments looking to influence Americans.

    Despite all of this, TikTok continues to find new users, many of whom are looking from something to help them pass the time while stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. If you need something new to do, you can find the app in the Apple App Store for iOS users and in the Google Play Store for Android users. Keep in mind that to prevent internet traffic from overwhelming the system while everyone is at home, TikTok users in Europe will not be able to view content in HD for 30 days. However, content creators will be able to upload their TikTok creations in full quality.

    Lees ook:

  • TikTok opens doors of LA facility to show transparency in privacy policies

    TikTok opens doors of LA facility to show transparency in privacy policies

    The Trump administration, as we are all well aware, has recently been suspecting China-owned companies, such as Huawei or ZTE, of espionage and unlawful conduct. Some US officials are also having a problem with the popular video-sharing platform TikTok and its Chinese owner company, ByteDance, and have therefore accused it of being a national security threat. The mentioned above actions resulted in some governmental entities banning the use of TikTok by their staff.

    In response to all the critics and accusations, TikTok is preparing to open the doors of a new LA facility to outside visitors, in particular lawmakers and industry experts, The Wall Street Journal reports. Invited people can visit TikTok’s LA facility in order to observe how platform moderators work, how user-reported content is handled, and review the company’s privacy and security practices.

    The facility is called the “transparency center” and is scheduled to open its doors in May. Additionally, it is said that the building will have different levels of authorization access.

    TikTok has been working hard to address the government officials’ concerns for quite some time already, expressing the fact that the company would never share its users’ information to the Chinese government, nor has it done so before. TikTok has even hired an executive from the US as a cybersecurity officer.

    “Our landscape and industry is rapidly evolving, and we are aware that our systems, policies and practices are not flawless, which is why we are committed to constant improvement,” a TikTok representative stated.

    Lees ook:

  • The TSA bans use of TikTok over national security threat allegations

    The TSA bans use of TikTok over national security threat allegations

    The United States Senator for New York Charles E. Schumer has been concerned about national security risks posed by China-owned social media platform TikTok and other similar platforms operating in the US since October last year. He has now reached out to the Transport Security Administration’s (the TSA) Administrator David Pekoske, expressing his concern over the use of the platform by the agency.

    In consequence, the TSA has banned the use of TikTok by its employees. The agency has stopped allowing its employees to use the platform on Sunday. National security experts have been concerned about TikTok’s collection and handling of user data and personal information. Additionally, concerns regarding the fact that Chinese companies have to work in accordance with the Chinese Communist Party’s demands have also been raised. According to Schumer’s press release, those companies do not possess means to decline requests made by the Chinese government.

    Since October 2019, multiple governmental organizations, including the US Army, the Marines, the Navy, as well as the Air Force and the Coast Guard, have banned or imposed hard limitations on the usage of the app. They are also encouraging personnel to avoid the app even in regard to personal use.

    Although TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has not specifically commented on those issues, it maintains the position that it is a trusted and responsible corporate citizen of the US.

    Lees ook: