US lawmakers have recently instructed Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and Apple to prepare for the removal of TikTok from their app stores by January 19.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The vibrant TikTok community in Bangladesh took centre stage last night as TikTok hosted the TikTok Creator Awards 2024 in the capital. Held for the second consecutive year in the country, the event celebrated the creative brilliance of Bangladeshi content creators who have revolutionised digital storytelling and entertainment.  

A US federal court has ruled that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, must sell its US operations by January 19, 2025, or the app will be banned nationwide. The decision is being seen as a major win for the Justice Department, which has raised concerns about TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government, but it is a significant setback for ByteDance.

With how addictive social media is, the thought of putting your device down seems like a nightmare. Why get any work done when you can scroll and watch eye-catching reels instead?

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is suing a former intern for 8 million yuan (about $1.1 million), accusing him of deliberately disrupting its artificial intelligence (AI) training operations. The lawsuit, filed in Beijing's Haidian District People's Court, has sparked widespread interest in China owing to its unique nature.

A critical ruling that could shape the future of TikTok in the United States is expected from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by December 6. The case centres on a controversial law requiring ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to divest its US operations by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is valuing itself at approximately $300 billion through a new share buyback program, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Canada has ordered TikTok to shut down its Canadian business, citing national security risks. Canadians will still be able to use TikTok, as the decision does not block general access to the app.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government will introduce legislation to prevent users under 16 from accessing social media platforms, citing the risks of online harm.

Seven French families have filed a lawsuit against social media platform TikTok, accusing the company of exposing their teenage children to content that allegedly contributed to their mental health decline, and for two of them, the cause of suicide.

Zhang Yiming, founder of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, has become the richest person in China, with a personal wealth of $49.3 billion, according to the Hurun China Rich List 2024, an annual ranking of China's richest individuals. 

TikTok is laying off hundreds of employees globally, including about 500 in Malaysia, as it shifts to AI-driven content moderation.

TikTok is facing new legal challenges as 13 US states and Washington DC filed lawsuits accusing the platform of harming young users through addictive software and inadequate safety measures. 

The EU Commission has formally requested detailed information from YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat about the algorithms they use to recommend content to their users on October 2, according to a recent report by Reuters. 

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is accelerating its AI model development by turning to domestic suppliers like Huawei Technologies, according to a recent report by Reuters.

TikTok has recently added the group chat feature, which will allow users to engage in group conversations using the direct messaging option on the app. This new feature, which supports group conversations of up to 32 participants, is available only for users aged 16 and older.

TikTok, the popular short-form video platform, was recently fined £1.9 million ($2.4 million) for failing to timely post its safety data report. The fine was issued by Ofcom, the government-approved telecommunications regulator in the UK.

Lady Gaga, the musician-turned-actress, is presently in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where they delivered a performance at the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening and have been seen attending various events throughout the weekend. 

It will severely curtail people's fundamental freedoms