TikTok
The hottest social media platform also faces the most precarious future, at least in the U.S. TikTok’s rapid adoption and ascent to become a prominent and profitable driver of culture across generations has sparked plenty of copycat efforts from its competitors, in addition to rare bipartisan scrutiny from the federal government. TechCrunch is covering the decision facing TikTok owner Bytedance: either it sells its U.S. operations to a separate company or faces a potential ban on its operations within the country.
ByteDance gets 24 hours to show EU a DSA risk assessment for TikTok Lite
TikTok owner ByteDance is facing fresh questions about its compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), an online governance and content moderation framework that puts a legal obligation…
TikTok partners with AXS to sell tickets for live events worldwide
TikTok said today that it has partnered with ticketing company AXS to sell tickets for events worldwide. The ByteDance-owned app is introducing this feature in the U.S., U.K., Sweden and…
Taylor Swift’s music is back on TikTok, despite platform’s ongoing UMG dispute
After 10 weeks of being absent from the platform, Taylor Swift’s music has returned to TikTok — or at least her more recent songs and “Taylor’s Version” cuts, since she…
TechCrunch Minute: TikTok and Meta’s latest moves signal a more commodified internet
The internet’s mega-platforms are slowly merging into a great blob of sameness, and even the hottest companies in the world are not immune from the trend. TikTok’s winning strategy to…
YouTube launches new Shopping features to help creators market products and grow their earnings
The launch of the new features come as TikTok Shop is seeking to take on YouTube Shopping and other competitors in the space.
TikTok’s upcoming Instagram competitor app for sharing photos could be named TikTok Notes, according to screenshots posted by users. TikTok also confirmed the app was in development. Over the last…
Uber Eats is launching a TikTok-like short-form video feed to boost discovery and help restaurants showcase their dishes. Uber Eats’ senior director of Product, Awaneesh Verma, told TechCrunch exclusively in…
Hoping to stall a ban, TikTok says it generated $14.7B for US small businesses last year
In addition, it says that over 7 million U.S. businesses rely on TikTok and that 224,000 jobs were supported by small business activity on the platform in 2023.
This gives Facebook a way to better compete against other popular video platforms that rely on algorithmic recommendations.
As TikTok continues to face increased pressure in the U.S. and the U.K., the company is signaling its commitment to fostering educational content on its app. The company announced on…
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TikTok ban could harm Amazon sellers looking for alternatives
In March, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that could force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban in U.S. app stores. Much of the related discussion and debate has centered around American data security and speech rights, but a potential move also highlights something else:…
LinkedIn targets users caught between TikTok and what used to be Twitter
Two weeks ago, TechCrunch broke the news that LinkedIn was getting into games, helping users “deepen relationships” through puzzle-based interactions. And on Wednesday, TechCrunch reported that the Microsoft-owned social network…
After spat with TikTok, UMG expands Spotify partnership to include music videos and more
In the wake of Universal Music Group’s (UMG) public spat with TikTok, which saw the label pulling its full catalog from the video app earlier this year, the company is…
YouTube says over 25% of its creator partners now monetize via Shorts
With TikTok potentially poised for a U.S. ban, YouTube is touting how well its own TikTok competitor, YouTube Shorts, is paying off for creators. The company on Thursday said its…
LinkedIn is experimenting with a TikTok-like video feed in its app
LinkedIn is testing a new TikTok-like short-form video feed, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday. With this new test, LinkedIn joins numerous other popular apps that have launched their…
TechCrunch Minute: A TikTok ban is looking more and more like impending reality
Well, that was fast. After a House subcommittee gave its assent to a bill that would force the divestment of TikTok or ban it in the United States, the House…
The controversial bill that could ban TikTok faces a rocky road in the Senate
A bill threatening to ban an app beloved by half of the American population just rocketed through the House of Representatives in a week’s time. But in the other chamber…
TikTok fined in Italy after ‘French scar’ challenge led to consumer safety probe
Italy’s competition and consumer authority, the AGCM, has fined TikTok €10 million (almost $11 million) following a probe into algorithmic safety concerns. The authority opened an investigation last year into…
Instagram is working on a feature that would allow you to let others put a ‘Spin’ on your Reel
Instagram is working on a “Spins” feature for Reels, its short-form video TikTok clone, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. The feature, which was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi,…
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Creators are frustrated but energized as TikTok ban gains momentum
The bill that could ban TikTok took one step closer to becoming a law on Wednesday. After being introduced just last week, the bill was fast-tracked through the House of Representatives and will now head to the Senate. V Spehar, the TikTok creator behind UnderTheDeskNews, has been a staunch critic…
TechCrunch Minute: The TikTok ban, or at least the effort to force its sale, is gaining steam
And some folks are pretty mad about it! After a House subcommittee passed a bill that would force a sale of TikTok or ban the app from American app stores,…
The House voted on Wednesday in favor of a bill to require TikTok to sever its connection with parent company ByteDance or face a ban, moving the legislation forward with…
TikTok is now letting creators in more countries earn money for their effects
TikTok is expanding its Effect Creator Rewards monetization program to more regions and lowering its payout threshold, the company announced today. The program, which launched in May 2023, rewards creators…
After rivaling music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple music with TikTok Music, ByteDance might be looking at creating an Instagram competitor named TikTok Photos, code found in the TikTok…
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Four things we learned when US intelligence chiefs testified to Congress
Cyberattacks, regional conflict, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, commercial spyware, AI, misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes and TikTok. These are just some of the top perceived threats that the United States faces, according to the U.S. government’s intelligence agency’s latest global risk assessment. The unclassified report published Monday — sanitized for public…
When some American users opened TikTok on Thursday morning, they were met with a full-screen message encouraging them to call Congress and say no to a TikTok ban. “Speak up…
TikTok says its revamped creator fund has increased total creator revenue by over 250%
TikTok announced today that its revamped creator fund has increased total creator revenue by over 250% within the last six months. The company says the fund, which launched a year…
TikTok launches data portability API ahead of Europe’s DMA regulatory deadline
TikTok is introducing a data portability API to help it comply with new European regulations designed to rein in Big Tech’s market dominance through various obligations and restrictions. The European…
TikTok loses even more songs over its dispute with Universal Music Group
TikTok is losing even more songs over its quarrel with Universal Music Group (UMG), as the social media network is starting to remove songs published by UMG, the company confirmed…
Almost half of adults on TikTok have never posted a video, research shows
Adults on TikTok lean camera-shy, a new study from Pew Research Center suggests. A survey of 2,745 adults who use TikTok revealed that 48% of respondents have never posted a…