TikTok | TechCrunch

FTC refers TikTok child privacy case to Justice Department

Aisha Malik — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 21:01:59 +0000

The agency was investigating the company over potential violations of the Children's Online Privacy Act.

TikTok ads will now include AI avatars of creators and stock actors

Aisha Malik — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000

TikTok announced on Monday that it’s introducing generative AI avatars of creators and stock actors for branded content and ads on its platform. The company is also launching an “AI Dubbing” tool for creators and brands to expand the reach of their ads and branded content. The new “Custom Avatars” are designed to represent a […]

TikTok comes for Google as it quietly rolls out image search capabilities in TikTok Shop

Aisha Malik — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:40:53 +0000

After leading the social media landscape, TikTok appears to be interested in challenging Google’s dominance in search. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s testing the ability for users to take or upload a photo to find similar products in TikTok Shop. The feature, which was first spotted by X user Jonah Manzano, is available […]

TikTok is testing Snapchat-like streaks

Ivan Mehta — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 17:38:20 +0000

TikTok is testing streaks that are similar to Snapchat's in order to boost engagement, including how long people stay on the app.

TikTok acknowledges exploit targeting high-profile accounts

Sarah Perez — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 18:33:18 +0000

The malicious attack appears to have involved malware transmitted through TikTok's DMs.

Trump takes off on TikTok

Anthony Ha — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 16:07:53 +0000

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump now has an account on the short-form video app that he once tried to ban. Trump’s TikTok account, which launched on Saturday night, features just one post as of publication time on Sunday morning. In the video, Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White declares, “The President is now on […]

The Biden campaign is looking to hire a seasoned meme lord

Amanda Silberling — Wed, 22 May 2024 22:32:15 +0000

President Joe Biden needs a meme manager.

TikTok turns to generative AI to boost its ads business

Aisha Malik — Wed, 22 May 2024 14:00:00 +0000

TikTok is the latest tech company to incorporate generative AI into its ads business, as the company announced on Tuesday that it’s launching a new “TikTok Symphony” AI suite for brands. The tools will help marketers write scripts, produce videos and enhance current assets. The suite includes a new AI video generator called the “Symphony […]

TikTok tests 60-minute video uploads as it continues to take on YouTube

Aisha Malik — Thu, 16 May 2024 14:59:26 +0000

TikTok is testing the ability for users to upload 60-minute videos, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The feature is available to a limited group of users in select markets, and TikTok says it doesn’t have any immediate plans to make the feature available widely. The feature, which was first spotted by social media […]

TikTok sues the US government over law that could ban the app

Aisha Malik — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:36:00 +0000

TikTok is suing the United States government in an effort to block a law that would ban TikTok if its parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year. The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, argues that the bill violates the U.S. Constitution. TikTok argues that the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s commitment […]

Musk raises $6B for AI startup. Also, is TikTok dodging Apple’s commissions?

Haje Jan Kamps — Fri, 03 May 2024 19:05:49 +0000

Welcome to Startups Weekly — Haje’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Musk’s 10-month-old baby, xAI, is closing in on a whoppin’ $6 billion funding round. The social network X, née Twitter — also part of Elon’s tech […]

TikTok expands its premium ad slots despite potential US ban

Sarah Perez — Thu, 02 May 2024 15:06:14 +0000

TikTok is adding new ad products that will allow marketers to better control what sort of content their ads appear against.

TikTok gets Tay and Billie back with new UMG content licensing deal

Ivan Mehta — Thu, 02 May 2024 07:26:32 +0000

Users on TikTok can once again create music clips using tracks from Universal Music Group’s catalog, which features some of the biggest names in music today: Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. That’s because, after months of fighting, the social media platform and Universal Music Group (UMG) have finally called a truce with a […]

Screenshots suggest TikTok is circumventing Apple App Store commissions

Sarah Perez — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:46:57 +0000

The feature may be hidden from most users, either by design or because it's only shown to users in a specific group, like testers or high spenders.

Twitch’s TikTok-like discovery feed is rolling out to all users

Aisha Malik — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:05:31 +0000

Twitch is officially rolling out its new TikTok-like discovery feed to all users this week, the company announced on Tuesday. The new feed, which is launching as a tab within the Twitch iOS and Android apps, allows viewers to scroll through bite-sized bits of content to discover new streamers. The official launch follows Twitch’s earlier […]

Will a TikTok ban impact creator economy startups? Not really, founders say

Amanda Silberling — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 20:15:38 +0000

President Joe Biden signed a bill on Wednesday that could ban TikTok — for real this time. After so many false starts and stops, some creator economy founders and their clients are rolling their eyes. They’ve been through this before. “I think two years ago, this would have been devastating,” Karat Financial co-founder and co-CEO […]

So are we banning TikTok or what? Also: Can an influencer really tank an $800M company?

Haje Jan Kamps — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 19:05:22 +0000

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Ticktock, TikTok: It’s been a wild week for TikTok. Even as the company starts testing its Twitter competitor in certain markets and launches its luxury secondhand shop […]

Snap says total watch time on its TikTok competitor increased more than 125%

Aisha Malik — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 21:09:31 +0000

As part of its Q1 2024 earning release, Snap revealed that total watch time on its TikTok competitor, Spotlight, increased more than 125% year-over-year. Snapchat launched the TikTok-like feed in late 2020 as a way to compete with the rising popularity of TikTok. The company is touting the success of its short-from video feed a […]

Is TikTok getting banned? Not yet, but you should explore alternatives

Aisha Malik — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:01:24 +0000

As a TikTok ban gets closer to becoming a reality in the United States, it might be time to start thinking about other platforms to adopt early in case you need to fill the void left by the popular app, especially as recent reports have suggested that ByteDance would prefer to shut down TikTok rather […]

Breaking down TikTok’s legal arguments around free speech, national security claims

Rebecca Bellan — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:35:55 +0000

Social media platform TikTok says that a bill banning the app in the U.S. is “unconstitutional” and that it will fight this latest attempt to restrict its use in court. The bill in question, which President Joe Biden signed Wednesday, gives Chinese parent company ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok or face a ban on […]