TikTok just announced it’s expanding its accessibility and translation tools starting today. After launching captions in 2021, the app is adding more languages for auto captions and translation features.
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An official depressing study revealed that TikTok is the fastest-growing source of news for British adults. For teenagers, the top news source was Instagram, closely followed by TikTok then YouTube.
The situation is even worse in the US, where a quarter of adults say they use TikTok to get their news.
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The TikTok algorithm has been at once the key to the success of the video streaming app, and the biggest criticism leveled against it. But it is now offering users the ability to filter out topics you don’t want to see.
The company is also introducing new automated moderation tools, including one that (finally!) applies age restrictions to videos not suitable for children, and another that aims to address the “rabbit hole” problem of users being shown a succession of depressing or other potentially harmful videos …
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An insane TikTok blackout challenge has been responsible for the deaths of seven children, according to a horrific new report today …
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TikTok shopping proved wildly popular in Asia, but plans to bring it to the US have been abandoned after a disastrous experience in the UK.
The UK launch was handled so badly that around half the staff working on the project walked out, and the exec in charge had to be replaced after deciding that he ‘didn’t believe’ in UK employment law …
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Earlier this week, an FCC commissioner in the United States called on both Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their respective apps stores. Now, TikTok parent company ByteDance has responded to the situation and confirmed that some China-based employees can access data of TikTok users in the United States.
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The video shorts battle of TikTok versus Reels looks set to intensify. After Instagram essentially copied the 15- to 60-second video short feature from TikTok, branding them as Reels, the company is now considering turning all Instagram videos into Reels. What would that mean … ?
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An FCC commissioner has called on both Apple and Google to delete TikTok from their respective app stores, giving the companies until July 8 to respond. It is not clear what measures the Federal Communications Commission might take if the companies do not comply.
The lengthy four-page letter says that TikTok is not a video-sharing app, but a “sophisticated surveillance tool” for the Chinese government …
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A leaked Meta internal memo from late April reveals the plan to entirely transform Facebook’s feed to become more TikTok-like. In addition, the company’s executives want to reintegrate Messenger back into Facebook’s main app, revealed a report.
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TikTok is bringing Memoji-like Avatars through its latest update as a way for creators to “showcase their individuality.” However, these new Avatars look awfully similar to Apple’s Memoji. The social media giant has announced TikTok Avatars, allowing users to customize through hairstyles, piercings, accessories, and makeup.
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TikTok is testing a new tool with select users to provide distraction-free viewing on the platform. Confirmed to TechCrunch, the new feature is called “clear mode” and clears on-screen clutter like captions and buttons for users scrolling through content on the app.
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TikTok LIVE lets creators and fans connect in real-time. You can now subscribe to your favorite LIVE TikTok creators in a Twitch-like format. LIVE Subscription is a monthly subscription that allows users to support their favorite LIVE TikTok creators.
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TikTok is working on a “major push into gaming” and is reportedly testing mini-games on the platform in Vietnam. In partnership with mobile gaming studio Zynga, the company is making ad-supported HTML5 games that could release on the platform later this year.
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Police report seeing increasing evidence of drug deals via apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok – and say that this is one of the factors behind soaring drug fatalities though fentanyl-tainted pills.
Emoji are used as code for different drugs, deals struck in private messages, and apps like Venmo and Cash App used for payment …
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TikTok is launching a few crediting tools so creators can have the ability to directly tag, mention, and credit a video in their description. The app will also prompt users to credit a creator throughout the posting process along with an educational pop-up that explains the importance of crediting someone else.
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TikTok is starting a new program called ‘TikTok Pulse‘ to share its ad revenue with creators. TikTok Pulse will work with top creators by allowing ads to appear next to “the top 4% of all videos” on the platform.
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There’s no denying TikTok’s growing popularity. In a Sensor Tower report on Store Intelligence Data for Q1 2022, TikTok was named the top downloaded app worldwide. Surpassing Instagram for this spot, it reached 3.5 billion all-time downloads in Q1 last year. This made it the first app to cross that threshold that is not owned by Meta.
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The Department of Homeland Security has opened a TikTok CSAM investigation, after child sexual abuse material was posted both publicly and privately on the video sharing network.
Additionally, the platform is being heavily used by abusers for grooming – the practice of befriending a child online with the intention of later abusing them, either online or offline …
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TikTok is now testing a “dislike” button to help users “feel more in control over comments.” Users in the testing can dislike any comments they deem irrelevant or inappropriate. The social media giant unveiled this new feature in a blog post on fostering kindness and safety on the platform.
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Eight months after starting to test a new AR development tool called Effect House, TikTok is making it available to all users. Here’s how this function plans to take “community-inspired creativity to the next level.”
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Today, TikTok announced its new Library feature will include an integration with GIPHY clips (GIFs with sound); Library allows users to easily grab clips and make them part of their own videos. The addition of GIPHY clips brings new life to content so users can take their videos to the next level.
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As reported by TechCrunch, TikTok is testing a “watch history” feature with select users. The watch history feature allows TikTok users to locate videos previously recommended on their “For You” page – with the amount of new content constantly joining the platform, it’s easy to accidentally refresh before getting a chance to like a video.
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A growing number of tech giants are applying Russian sanctions of the digital kind in response to the unprovoked attack on Ukraine. Update: Apple subsequently announced its own responses.
Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok are all limiting access to two Russian media brands, Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik …
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After testing a new max length for TikTok videos, the Chinese app just announced it’s rolling out the ability for users to upload up to 10 minutes of content in a single post. This is the first major change of the app since it adopted three minutes long videos last July.
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