School Districts Notch a Win in Tech Addiction Case Against Top Platforms

image via pcmag.com
image via pcmag.com

School districts across 19 states claim that the companies do not adequately implement features like age verification, parental controls, and session timeouts. Design choices that allow for endless scrolling, coupled with targeted algorithms, mean kids have trouble putting down their phones, creating a doom loop that can interrupt sleep at best and create serious mental health issues at worst. The schools say they've had to dedicate resources to handle this, from confiscating phones to dealing with online behavior that spills into classrooms, including dangerous social media "challenges."

https://www.pcmag.com/news/school-districts-notch-a-win-in-tech-addiction-case-against-top-platforms

As TikTok ban heads to court, ByteDance’s Lemon8 surges

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

As TikTok heads to court on Monday to argue against a U.S. ban, parent company ByteDance’s newer social app, Lemon8, is once again surging to the top of the App Store in the U.S. The push is due, in part, to increased advertising. Described by TikTok influencers as a cross between Pinterest and Instagram — or more recently, as “Pinterest on steroids” — the app had previously appeared in the App Store’s top charts when a TikTok ban was being discussed by U.S. lawmakers.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/16/as-tiktok-ban-heads-to-court-bytedances-lemon8-surges/

The U.S. wants ByteDance to sell TikTok. China is almost certainly going to refuse

image via cnbc.com
image via cnbc.com

The House on Wednesday approved a bill that requires ByteDance to divest TikTok within roughly six months in order for the app “to remain available in the United States.” However, China would likely block a sale of TikTok U.S., analysts told CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/tiktok-ban-china-would-block-sale-of-short-video-app.html

All-New ‘TikTok Photos’ App Spotted, Likely to Be Instagram Rival

image via macrumors.com
image via macrumors.com

TikTok appears to be planning to expand into photo sharing via the launch of a new "TikTok Photos" app, according to TheSpAndroid blog. A large number of references to the app were discovered in the latest version of TikTok, revealing some of its functionality, integrations, and even its app icon. The official launch date and regional availability of "TikTok Photos" is unknown, but the presence of extensive references to it within TikTok's code suggests that an announcement could be imminent.

https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/12/new-tiktok-photos-app-spotted/

TikTok’s AI-powered Creative Assistant is now available directly in Adobe Express

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

The Creative Assistant add-on in Adobe Express aims to reduce the time and effort required when working across different platforms when creating content. With Adobe Express, creators have access to templates, Adobe Stock video clips, audio, stickers and an Adobe Express TikTok video creator. With the new Creative Assistant add-on, creators will get access to TikTok insights about trending hashtags and AI-powered tools all within Adobe Express. The Assistant can also brainstorm creative ideas or even write out video scripts.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/13/tiktoks-ai-powered-creative-assistant-is-now-available-directly-in-adobe-express/

Universal Music Group plans to pull song catalog from TikTok

image via techcrunch.com
image via techcrunch.com

Universal Music Group (UMG), the label representing artists such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande, says that it’ll pull its music from TikTok tomorrow at midnight after failing to reach a deal with the platform’s parent company, ByteDance, over royalties.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/30/universal-music-group-plans-to-pull-song-catalog-from-tiktok/

TikTok is shutting down its $2 billion Creator Fund and steering users to the Creativity Program

image via engadget.com
image via engadget.com

TikTok only launched its Creator Fund a few years ago, but is already shutting it down in favor of a new monetization scheme that arrived earlier this year. "Starting December 16, 2023, the Creator Fund will be discontinued in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany," a spokesperson told Engadget in a statement. "All creators currently enrolled in the Creator Fund can upgrade to the Creativity Program."

https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-shutting-down-its-2-billion-creator-fund-and-steering-users-to-the-creativity-program-091023832.html