Tag Archives: TikTok

On March 5, US lawmakers introduced a bill to penalize app stores in the country from listing TikTok or any other application developed or provided by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance. The bill, called “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” classifies ByteDance as a foreign adversary. It defines a foreign adversary as—

• a company or entity domiciled or headquartered in a foreign adversary country (this includes China, North Korea, Russia and Iran)
• any entity in which individuals or entities from a foreign adversary country own a minimum stake of 20%
• a person subject to the directions/control of a foreign adversary country.

Any app store or web hosting service that fails to comply with the bill will be fined any amount that results from…

TikTok has activated its first European data centre in Ireland’s capital, Dublin. The aim is to counter concerns about the safety of user data and possible access by the Chinese government. Theo Bertram, TikTok’s vice president of public policy in Europe, promises a “specially reinforced protective environment” around European user data.
 

Why Dublin Matters

 
The Dublin centre is not a lone effort; it’s part of a larger plan. Ireland will host another centre, and Norway will get one too. By the end of 2024, TikTok aims to transfer all data of users from the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK, and Switzerland to these centres. Previously, data was stored only in the US and Singapore.
 

Independent Audits

 
To gain user trust, TikTok has engaged NCC Group, a…

The popular short-video app TikTok is reportedly considering banning links to external online marketplaces. The possible decision, while not confirmed by TikTok itself, has sparked discussions about the platform’s strategy to enhance its own online shopping offerings and drive sales exclusively through TikTok Shop.
 

TikTok’s E-Commerce Ambitions

 
Reports from The Information suggest that TikTok is considering the idea of prohibiting external e-commerce links. This would mean users could only make purchases through TikTok Shop, the company’s in-app online marketplace.

The intention behind this move is to funnel all shopping activities through TikTok’s own ecosystem, thereby creating a captive market and generating revenue directly within the platform.
 

TikTok…

Tiktok once again has to defend itself against accusations that the short video platform is storing user data in China. The reason is an article in the American news magazine “Forbes”. There, citing internal documents, it is claimed that some users’ financial data are stored in China. The article prompted further inquiries from members of the US Congress. Several members of Congress have asked US Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate whether Tiktok boss Shou Zi Chew made false statements in his interrogation before the US Congress.

Governments in many countries are concerned that Tiktok’s proprietary user data could be leaked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). That is why the United States of America and many European countries, among others, have prohibited…