Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Wednesday said there was a âhell of a coincidenceâ in how Shou Zi Chew became the CEO of TikTok the day after he brokered a deal with China. Cotton spoke during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation, which included big tech companies such as Facebook, Snapchat
Tom Cotton: ‘Hell of a Coincidence’ Shou Zi Chew Became TikTok CEO Day After Inking Deal with China
April 3, 2024 by
Trump backs TikTok as Congress considers bill to ban Chinese-owned social media app
March 9, 2024 by
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday signaled his opposition to a TikTok ban being considered in Congress, arguing that it would help Facebook, which he called âa true Enemy of the People!â âIf you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business,â Trump, 77, claimed in a Truth Social post, apparently referring […]
‘Censorship Is Ramping Up’: Facebook Suspends Libs of TikTok for ‘Going Against Community Standards’
March 2, 2024 by
Facebook has suspended the account Libs of TikTok, which exposes leftism and wokeness, for allegedly violating its community standards. âThe Page Libs of Tik Tok has been disabled for going against our Community Standards. You cannot visit the Page and you wonât be able to add new people to work on the Page,â a screenshot
Chinese migrant says TikTok helped her to know where to cross the US southern border
February 12, 2024 by
As an influx of immigration from around the world continues to surge, many are now crossing into the country through gaps in the border wall â and TikTok is reportedly helping them do it. âTikTok, TikTok,â a translator speaking for a 37-year-old female Chinese migrant relayed to â60 Minutesâ after being asked about how they […]
Spider crawls out of woman’s ear in ‘traumatic’ experience as TikTok video goes viral: ‘Crying, throwing up’
October 30, 2023 by
A woman has gone viral on TikTok for sharing the details of her too-close-for-comfort encounter with a creepy crawler. Desirae Kelly (@desiraekelly) of Farmington, Missouri, posted a video of herself sitting at the doctorâs office, where she waited to be seen for something stuck in her ear. After the nurse took a closer look into […]
TikTok A.I. Clone of Dictator Omar al-Bashir Spreads Confusion in Sudan
October 6, 2023 by
A mysterious account on TikTok caused a good deal of confusion in the already chaotic nation of Sudan by using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create convincing fake video clips of former dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was deposed in 2019. Bashirâs whereabouts are unknown, as Sudan is presently convulsed by a bloody power struggle between the
Mother Posts At-Home Abortion on TikTok
September 29, 2023 by
monicathehuman/TikTok A mother filmed herself undergoing the chemical abortion process and posted it to TikTok, Newsweek reported Saturday. Monica, 25, told the outlet that when she posted the video on July 20, she hoped it would help âabortion become[s] more normalized and seen as what it is â healthcare.â In the video, the Los Angeles
Ticked-Off TikTok Users Launch Lawsuit Against Montana Ban
July 23, 2023 by
A group of five TikTok users have reportedly launched a lawsuit aimed at preventing Montana from banning the platform. Five users of Chinese social media platform TikTok have reportedly filed papers in a U.S. federal court aimed at blocking Montana from banning the platform. It comes after the stateâs Governor Greg Gianforte (R) announced on Thursday
Rand Paul riles his GOP colleagues again â this time over TikTok
May 8, 2023 by
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is warning the rest of the GOP about the electoral price it might pay for yanking one of young voters’ favorite apps. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Randâs got a new stand: Banning TikTok will backfire on the GOP with young voters. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), whoâs shown repeatedly that heâll stretch chamber
TikTok is a necessary evil for Democratic campaigns
April 12, 2023 by
Strategists say theyâre doubtful the increased governmental scrutiny on the app will change TikTokâs dominance among young people â and thus campaign strategies likely wonât change. | Mario Tama/Getty Images) To Congress, TikTok is a bogeyman. To campaign strategists, itâs absolutely necessary. The app, which says it has 15src million active users in the country
Biden White House teams up with TikTok influencers to help tout record on social media, ‘reach young people’
April 10, 2023 by
The Biden White House has teamed up with TikTok influencers and more in a new effort to tout his record on social media and “reach young people,” according to Axios. The president, who has yet to officially announce his re-election bid, is reportedly enlisting the help of hundred of influencers on TikTok and other social […]
Bill to ban TikTok slammed as ‘Patriot Act for the digital age’
April 10, 2023 by
Activists and organizations are sounding the alarm that the RESTRICT Act, touted to stop foreign spying via apps like TikTok, will instead endanger basic American freedoms. A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and John Thune, R-S.D., unveiled the RESTRICT Act on March 7. The legislation is meant to crack down […]
Democrats Focus on Woke Grievances During TikTok Hearing, Not National Security
April 2, 2023 by
While most lawmakers focused on TikTokâs ties to communist China at todayâs hearing with its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, Congresswomen Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) focused on what, for them, appeared to be a more important priority: stopping algorithms from becoming racist. The House Energy and Commerce Committee called the hearing amid widespread concerns
TikTok Paid for an Astroturfed Mob of Influencers to Show Up as CEO Testified Before Congress
April 2, 2023 by
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Chinese-owned TikTok reportedly paid for the transportation of popular influencers on its platform to appear in Washington as the companyâs CEO appeared before congress. Wired reports that the social media behemoth TikTok launched a large-scale campaign in D.C., which included paying for TikTok influencers to meet their home state lawmakers, staffers, and
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Announces ‘Security Plan’ to Prohibit TikTok on State Government-Issued Devices, State Networks
March 9, 2023 by
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images // Inset: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced a âstatewide model security planâ for state employees and contractors to follow that prohibits TikTok and other software on government-issued devices as well as the use of prohibited technology-enabled personal devices on government networks. Abbottâs statewide model security plan would address the âvulnerabilitiesâ presented by using TikTok and
Rubio Reintroduces Bipartisan TikTok Ban, Says âMomentum Is Growingâ to Pass Bill
March 9, 2023 by
ANDREW HARNIK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) reintroduced a bill with Sen. Angus King (I-ME) on Friday to ban TikTok unless the app is fully divested of Chinese ownership, announcing that âmomentum is growingâ to pass the legislation. Rubio and Kingâs bill â the Averting the National Threat of Internet Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and
TikTok Slammed for âDoing Nothingâ Over Pro-Anorexia Content
March 3, 2023 by
TikTok is failing to protect young users from dangerous content promoting eating disorders, according to a new report, despite being warned by researchers that the posts were receiving millions of views.Late last year, a group of researchers at the Center For Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) warned TikTok they had found harmful pro-eating disorder content hidden
Commerce Sec’y Raimondo: We Shouldn’t Ban TikTok, Its Issues ‘Aren’t Just Limited to TikTok’
March 3, 2023 by
During an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo opposed a ban on TikTok and argued that the issues that make the app a problem, like the app being Chinese-owned and its issues around privacy and misinformation, âarenât just limited to TikTok.â Bloomberg Washington Bureau Chief Peggy Collins asked, [relevant exchange begins around
TikTok Hit With Another Lawsuit Over Teensâ Eating Disorders
February 11, 2023 by
K.S., a 14-year-old girl The Daily Beast is identifying by her initials to protect her privacy, was 12 years old when she first downloaded TikTok, a video app all her friends seemed to be newly hooked on. It was early 2020, and once COVID-19 hit, K.S. found herself with little to do besides engage as
Twitter Files Reveals Troubling Details of How Company Blacklisted Libs of TikTok
February 1, 2023 by
A new installment of the Twitter Files investigation has revealed that the popular Libs of TikTok account was one of the conservative voices targeted by the companyâs former censorship queen, Vijaya Gadde, and Trump-hating leftist Yoel Roth, who had the account placed on a âTrends Blacklist.â The new information paints a troubling picture of how Twitter
TikTok Deal Delayed over National Security Concerns
January 30, 2023 by
Negotiations between the U.S. government and China-owned TikTok have been delayed due to national security concerns involving ByteDance, the appâs Chinese parent company, and its access to the private user data of Americans. A potential deal between the Biden administration and TikTok is delayed due to ongoing national security concerns, people familiar with the situation
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr Urges DOJ to Investigate Apple, Google over TikTok
January 28, 2023 by
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Apple and TikTok. Carr is a consistent critic of Chinaâs TikTok, calling the app a wolf in âsheepâs clothing.â Carr calling on the DOJ to launch an investigation is his latest move in an attempt to try to get Apple to remove
TikTok Star and Bernie Sanders Fan Blasted for Showing Off $2 Million Apartment
June 6, 2021 by
A woman who went viral for a clip supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is being criticized for giving her followers a tour of what she claimed is her $2 million apartment. âNicole Sanchez, who is better known by her username Neekolul, is the TikTok star behind the viral âok, boomerâ video, in which she danced…